With three years of construction on the Valley Metro Light Rail extension finally over, a tight-knit business community has emerged in downtown Mesa. Businesses all along Main Street are small, independent shops where the owners and managers know each other by name.
A pride exists among shop owners in downtown Mesa, and there is a sense of uniqueness compared to other commercial areas in the Valley. The light rail extension opened on Aug. 22 with four new stops along Main Street at Alma School Road, County Club Drive, Center Street and Mesa Drive.
“We’re 99 percent small businesses,” Amy Del Castillo, co-owner of Lulubell Toy Bodega, said. “We’re a true Main Street.”
Del Castillo said the struggles of the light rail construction helped bring the local business community together.
“Had we not gone through this, I wouldn’t know everyone on Main,” Del Castillo said. “It pushed us to work together creatively.”
The Arizona Republic reported the cost of the 3.1 mile extension to be at $200 million, and was estimated to attract 5,000 new riders.
Although the light rail has overwhelming support from community, the project was not without economic hardship. Many were present since the project began in the July 2012, when Main Street began to be choked by intermittently closed lanes and construction vehicles. Some enterprises survived while others shuttered.
For those that stayed afloat, “a bond was forged” among the remaining shops on Main Street, Gladys Contreras, CFO of Nebula Vaping, said.
“Construction was rough,” Contreras said. “But I’ve met some of my best friends, people I’m privileged to call my neighbors, because of the light rail.”
Although the area has undoubtedly received renewed attention, it remains unclear whether this will translate into long-term revenue.
“It’s still summer,” Scott Robenalt, owner of Asylum Records, said. “We’ll know for sure in November.”
The business community has high hopes that will become a center of arts and culture for the East Valley, especially after the re-opening the Mesa Arts Center on Sept. 11, kicking off a season of upcoming festivals and events.
Robenalt, who proudly displays a life-size cardboard cutout of the rock band KISS in his shop window, hopes that Mesa will shake off its reputation as being a straight-laced, old-fashioned town.
“I hope we get more open-minded people around here,” Robenalt said.
Jaime Ruiz, manager at Gotham City Comics, said he enjoys the new customers and enjoys seeing the new faces brought directly by the light rail.
“When I ask them, they say, ‘I took the light rail to see Mesa,’” Ruiz said. “It’s crazy to hear that.”
With a train speeding down Main Street every few minutes, only time will tell if downtown Mesa will become the cultural center the community hopes it will be.
Ruiz only wants the best for Gotham City Comics and the neighbors he has come to know.
“I want the local businesses that are already here to continue to grow and thrive,” Ruiz said.
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