Good morning, East Mesa. Council approved 385 new homes for SE Mesa at Monday's meeting, covering two projects: Haven at Hawes and Haven at Destination. Looking ahead: Arizona Restaurant Week hits The Patio at Las Sendas and Red White & Brew starting Thursday. Saturday brings two markets and an evening glow golf fundraiser at Augusta Ranch. RMHS has a Guitar Concert tonight, and MVHS Surround Sound Concerts land Thursday.
🏡 385 homes cleared for SE Mesa. Haven at Hawes and Haven at Destination approved at Monday's council meeting, adding to the southeastern corridor's buildout. Details.
🏗️ Signal Butte and Southern on the May 18 council agenda. A development agreement for that SE Mesa intersection comes before council Monday. Details.
🍷 Restaurant Week opens Thursday at two East Mesa spots. Las Sendas and the McDowell corridor, through the weekend. Details.
🎵 Guitar Concert at RMHS tonight; MVHS Surround Sound on Thursday. Details.
385 homes approved for SE Mesa
Mesa City Council approved 385 new homes for the southeastern part of the city at Monday's meeting. The vote covers two residential projects: Haven at Hawes and Haven at Destination. Both add density to a stretch that's been filling in steadily, pushing more load onto roads, school enrollment, and the retail base still taking shape in that corner of East Mesa.
- Total units: 385
- Projects: Haven at Hawes, Haven at Destination
- Location: Southeast Mesa
- Vote date: May 11, 2026, Mesa City Council
- Named in coverage: District 6 Councilmember Scott Somers; Councilmember Jenn Duff
SE Mesa has absorbed the bulk of Mesa's new residential growth for years. Two sizable approvals in one vote is significant even by recent standards. The question now is sequencing: when construction phasing begins, which project breaks ground first, and what infrastructure commitments come with it.
What to watch: no groundbreaking timeline has been announced. Construction permits and phasing details are the next data points. Full story at the Mesa Tribune.
East Mesa notebook
🏗️ Signal Butte and Southern on the May 18 council vote. A development agreement for a parcel near the northeast corner of Signal Butte and Southern (District 5) goes before council Monday, May 18. The applicant is WS Holdings I, LLC. The filing doesn't describe the proposed use, but that intersection sits squarely in active development territory on the SE Mesa perimeter. Filing on Legistar.
🏨 Council is recruiting a higher-end hotel for the Longbow corridor. A Mesa Tribune piece published this morning says council members are actively pitching the Longbow Golf Club area in NE Mesa for an upscale hotel development. Councilmembers Alicia Goforth, Jenn Duff, and Scott Somers were cited. No project has been approved. Mesa Tribune.
📡 GFiber is available in the Signal Butte/Williams Field corridor. New-build residents near Signal Butte and Williams Field Road are actively comparing GFiber to Cox. A r/mesaaz thread this week has firsthand responses from people who've already switched or stayed. Worth reading before picking a provider if you're in one of the new builds along that stretch. Thread.
🏥 Three of Mesa's four hospitals received C grades from a national patient-safety watchdog. Banner Baywood Medical Center is East Mesa's primary hospital and a key resource for the 55-plus corridor on the east side. No breakdown by individual facility was available in the initial report. Mesa Tribune.
🌡️ Cooling centers are open as triple-digit heat arrives. Mesa has activated a day respite center, cooling centers, and hydration stations across the city. Locations from Mesa Now. Mesa Animal Control is also reminding residents to keep pets off hot pavement and watch for dehydration. Pet heat tips.
♻️ On Monday's recycling confusion. Multiple residents spotted blue and green bins collected in the same truck on May 11. The City of Mesa confirmed it was an unplanned service disruption that required contingency collection to ensure all containers were emptied. Normal operations have resumed.
🐍 Snake and lizard season is underway. A rattlesnake was removed from a residential area this past weekend, and a chuckwalla turned up on Brown Road mountain Monday morning. Watch where you step on any desert trail right now.
The week
🍷 Arizona Restaurant Week, Thursday through Saturday. Two East Mesa locations participating this week:
📚 Nutrition for the Family at Red Mountain Library, Thursday May 14. A free University of Arizona-certified nutrition course at 10 AM. Sessions cover meal planning and nutrition basics, with recipe handouts and kitchenware giveaways each week. Register.
🌾 Two markets Saturday, May 16.
⛳ Glow golf fundraiser at Augusta Ranch, Saturday evening. Lone Hand Golf hosts a night glow event at Augusta Ranch Golf Course (2401 S Lansing, Mesa). Info.
🎶 Live brunch with Rachelle Romeo, Sunday May 17. The Patio & Grille at Las Sendas hosts a Sunday brunch with live music. Info.
🏄 Heads up for May 21: Moananuiākea at Revel Surf. A Hawaiian cultural event at Revel Surf on Power Road (4503 S Power Rd, Mesa). Info.
From the schools
🎸 RMHS Guitar Concert, tonight at 7 PM. Red Mountain High School hosts an evening guitar performance. RMHS events page.
🎵 MVHS Surround Sound Concerts, Thursday May 14. Mountain View High School hosts area school groups throughout the day, with a public concert in the evening. Two chances to catch it if the afternoon visits are sold out. MVHS events page.
Where's your go-to East Mesa lunch spot when it's already 100 degrees by noon?