The next stage in a project bringing new life to the former Fiesta Mall property in Mesa is now underway with national and regional developers expressing an interest in the 80-acre site.
The mall, which was built in 1979 and for decades was one of the most popular shopping centers in the southwest, closed some six years ago. Since then, the property’s new owners, Verde Investments, has overseen the demolition of the mall, an extensive project that was finally completed late last year.
In place of the mall, Verde has proposed what it is calling Fiesta Redefined, a project that will see the building of a mixed-use development set to include up to 4,000 residential units, as well as nearly 2 million square feet of commercial and retail space.
The project in the 1400 block of West Southern Avenue will also see the creation of well over 500,000 square feet of open space. Verde is calling the open space component a “green village,” with an emphasis on public gathering space designed to provide “connectivity and walkability.”
The open space will additionally include such amenities as landscaped walkways, bike lanes, arcades, and benches and tables.
Verde Investments is owned by Ernesto Garcia II, the top shareholder in the online used car retail company Carvana who was listed last fall by Fortune as one of the 400 most wealthy people in the country.
An exact schedule for when work will begin on Fiesta Redefined remains unknown. Verde Investments has said that given the size and scope of the project it “could take a decade to come to completion.”
April 3, 2025
By Garry Boulard
