Mesa presents Scribe House redesign with Steadfast Farm, chef-led dining and bond funding

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 food desert, create education opportunities and add green space in central Mesa.

Project scope and operator - Operator: Staff said the city ran a Request for Qualifications in early 2023 for an urban farmer and selected Steadfast Farm; Eric and Yvonne Schultz and Steadfast representatives were present. Staff described a services contract under negotiation in which Steadfast would operate the farm programming, retail distribution and most day-to-day activity; the city would retain ownership and maintain major building systems. - Food and dining: The city announced involvement of chef Derek Christiansen (a James Beard nominee and televised cooking-competition winner) to lead a destination barbecue concept to cook on-site. Robbins noted the program would include containers for retail and a small restaurant concept, plus potential food-truck staging with shore power along Second Street. - Programming: The design shows in-ground farm plots, a learning pavilion for urban agriculture classes, gathering areas, night lighting for evening activation and a small stage area for solo performers. Staff said they expect Steadfast to run classes, retail sales of produce and site events.

Budget and schedule Robbins said the Scribe House project was a voter-approved 2024 bond item with $5 million in capacity but estimated the work can be built for about $4 million, plus roughly $310,000 in design, giving a project estimate of $4.3 million. He said final design is underway, the engineering contract is out for bid, construction is expected to start later this year, and staff anticipates construction completion and a ribbon-cutting in late 2026.

Access, partnerships and operations Staff said public access will be allowed during regular business hours but the city and operator want to control after-hours access to protect plantings and the historic house. Robbins said the city is negotiating free urban agriculture classes for Mesa residents and reasonable efforts to partner with community groups such as the Mesa Historic Museum and Mesa Public Schools; staff cited opportunities to work with the University of Arizona cooperative extension and USDA grant programs for additional programming.

Discussion and next steps Council members generally praised the project as a downtown amenity and emphasized partnerships with schools and extension services. Council members asked about shore-power hookups for food trucks and whether Steadfast would operate the barbecue concept; staff said the operator agreement envisions Steadfast managing on-site dining and farm retail and that shore power and a food-truck curb inset on Second Street are included in the design.

Staff said the full project will return as an engineering contract and that construction procurement is in process; no council vote on the Scribe House project occurred during the Aug. 28 meeting.

Ending Staff requested continued council support as procurement proceeds; Robbins said the site will be a combination of restored historic assets and year-round public programming once construction is complete in 2026.