About
The Gateway area is unique because it encompasses several very important economic drivers for the City of Mesa and surrounding region, including: the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (Airport), ASU Polytechnic Campus, Mesa Community College and Chandler-Gilbert Community College. The Mesa Proving Grounds is located at the heart of this important area.

The Gateway area has long been important for the future of the southeast Valley and Mesa in particular. Mesa’s long-term plan for the Gateway area is to establish a thriving employment center for business, aviation, education, and technology– providing employment for 100,000 people by 2030.

Size and Location
The Gateway area is approximately 20,700 acres, and is located in the southeastern-most portion of Mesa with a portion being within unincorporated Maricopa County. The generalized boundaries for the area are: Baseline Road to the north, Germann Road to the south, Power Road to the west and Signal Butte Road to the east.

Population
According to the 2006 Urban Land Institute study conducted for the Gateway area, there were 12,000 households (today that’s 30,000 population). The City of Mesa estimates the Gateway area will grow by 26,800 people annually over the next 20 to 30 years.

Associated Municipalities
The City of Mesa, Town of Gilbert, Town of Queen Creek and Maricopa County are municipal and county entities associated with the Gateway area. Additionally, the Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) also owns property in the area and has ownership in the Airport.

Regional Transportation Corridors
The Gateway area is well connected to the Phoenix metropolitan area and sits at the confluence of regional freeways, a future freeway, and the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport. Current transportation corridors include the Loop 202 (Red Mountain and Santan Freeways) and the U.S. 60. The 802 Freeway is a planned extension of the Loop 202, which will eventually go east to the county line.

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport
The Airport opened in 1994 as the Williams Gateway Airport. Prior to operation as a commercial airport, the Airport was the Williams Air Force Base, which closed in 1993. The Airport is a commercial reliever for the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and includes three runways – one of which, at 10,400 feet in length and can accommodate the landing of the world’s largest aircraft. The currently proposed Airport Master Plan estimates the airport will serve two million passengers annually by 2020.

The Airport currently employs approximately 1,000 people and is anticipated by the City of Mesa to become the center of a major employment hub and commercial center in the near future. The Airport’s current annual economic impact on the community is estimated to be more than $251 million. Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is owned and operated by the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority, which includes five community partners – City of Mesa, Town of Gilbert, Town of Queen Creek, the Gila River Indian Community and City of Phoenix.

In September 2007, the Airport Authority officially changed the Airport name from Williams Gateway Airport to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

ASU Polytechnic Campus
Established in 1996, the ASU Polytechnic campus is the premier polytechnic institution in Arizona with a current enrollment of more than 9,000 students and a projection of 15,000 students by 2015. The campus currently offers 40 degree programs. Residential halls and single-family houses provide on-campus housing. The campus is adjacent to Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

Mesa Community College
For the past 40 years, Mesa Community College (MCC) has been a vital educational institution in the East Valley. Currently enrolling 27,000 students each year, MCC offers more than 150 degrees in business, education, engineering, biological and biomedical sciences and many others. MCC operates several programs in facilities near the ASU Polytechnic campus.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) is located by the ASU Polytechnic campus and has a significant presence in the area. The campus has more than 15,000 students and offers more than 50 programs in aviation and aeronautics; business and computing studies; communications and fine arts; nursing and others. Chandler-Gilbert Community College partners with ASU Polytechnic at the Gateway campus.

Sources
City of Mesa, CGCC, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Claritas, Arizona Real Estate Center, U.S. Census Bureau and UL Advisory Services Panel Briefing (September 2006)