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Mesa presents Scribe House redesign with Steadfast Farm, chef-led dining and bond funding
Summary
City staff presented final concepts and a proposed operating arrangement for the Scribe House site: urban agriculture, public open space, a chef-run barbecue concept, and an operator services contract with Steadfast Farm; project budget is estimated at $4.3 million and is funded by the 2024 voter-approved bond capacity.
City staff presented Aug. 28 the final concept and near-term schedule for bond-funded improvements to the historic Scribe House site, emphasizing public activation, urban agriculture and a chef-driven dining element. Jeff McVay, manager of Urban Transformation, introduced Jeff Robbins, redevelopment program administrator, who led the presentation.
Robbins said the Scribe House is on the National Register of Historic Places and described an activation strategy that pairs preservation of the historic house with public-facing uses on the surrounding parcel. "This site is on the National Historic Register. It's also the oldest example of Victorian area era architecture in the city," Robbins said, and staff framed the project around activating the site year-round with dining, farm stands, in-ground agriculture, an education pavilion and programmed public space.
Why this matters: the project aims to reuse a long-vacant downtown parcel, provide locally grown food in an area the presentation described as a USDA-identified…
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