Council approves Rio Salado hotel and player housing tied to Cubs partnership

Mesa City Council unanimously approved two Rio Salado minor-plan items (9A and 9B) on April 20 that clear the way for a hotel and a 36-unit multi-residential building intended in part to serve professional baseball players who train or stay near Sloan Park.

A member of the public, identified in the record as Mr. Davis, urged the council to reconsider the project and argued Mesa is overbuilding multi-family housing relative to single-family homes and that denser developments could contribute to higher crime. “I oppose both 9A and 9B,” he said during public comment, citing regional housing comparisons.

City planning staff and several council members responded that the parcel is constrained (adjacent to freeway access and property configuration) and is not conducive to single-family residential development. “This is a very specialty usage,” a staff speaker (Mr. Butler) told the council, adding the hotel and resident units would support the city's relationship with the Chicago Cubs and be in near-constant use by players.

Council members including Mr. Adams and Council Member Taylor said they had asked many questions about the site’s suitability and expressed confidence the use is appropriate given access and location constraints. Council also noted the property was previously county-owned and that the hotel could generate additional sales tax revenue for the city.

After discussion, council moved to approve items 9A and 9B; the motion passed unanimously.