Could Cannon Beach Turn East Mesa Into a Weekend Destination?

 

For a long time, if you lived in Mesa, Gilbert or Queen Creek and wanted a nice hotel, a great pool, dinner, drinks and something fun to do for the weekend, you probably headed toward Scottsdale or Phoenix.

East Mesa hasn't really had that kind of destination.

Cannon Beach could start to change that.

Located near Power Road and Warner Road, Cannon Beach is already home to Revel Surf, bringing a surf lagoon, beach area, restaurants, events and other recreational activities to Southeast Mesa.

Now, a new hotel is being proposed as another major piece of the development.

A 148-Room Hotel Is Planned for Cannon Beach

The proposed hotel is planned as a five-story, 148-room Hilton Tapestry Collection property.

Plans call for a full-service restaurant, meeting and event space, an outdoor pool and an experiential lobby. The project also includes a rooftop bar and event area overlooking the surf lagoon.

The hotel still has to move through the city's approval process, so this isn't something you'll be checking into tomorrow.

But the fact that a four-star hotel is being planned right next to a major entertainment destination is worth paying attention to.

The Surf Park Is Already Changing the Area

Revel Surf is no longer just a future development.

It's open and operating at Cannon Beach, with surfing, a sandy beach, swimming areas, cliff jumping, a skate park, food and drinks, cabanas and regular events.

That matters because the hotel isn't being built in isolation.

The idea is to create an entire destination where people can come for an activity, grab dinner, stay overnight and have more things to do without getting back in the car.

That's a very different experience from simply building another hotel along a busy road.

What Could This Mean for East Mesa?

Think about how staycations usually work in the Valley.

A couple wants a nice weekend away.

A family has visitors coming into town.

Parents are looking for something fun to do with the kids.

Friends want to get together somewhere that feels different from the usual restaurant-and-movie routine.

Right now, Scottsdale and Phoenix often win those trips.

But Cannon Beach could eventually give people another option.

You could spend the afternoon at Revel Surf, grab dinner, enjoy the pool, attend an event and stay overnight without ever leaving the development.

And it isn't only about local residents.

The location is also convenient to Mesa Gateway Airport and the growing Southeast Valley, which could make the area more attractive to visitors coming into the region for family, business, sports and entertainment.

The Bigger Story Is East Mesa Becoming a Destination

This is the part I find most interesting.

East Mesa has been growing for years, but much of that growth has been residential.

New homes.

New neighborhoods.

New roads.

More people.

What has been harder to find is the kind of development that gives people a reason to actually spend a weekend here.

Cannon Beach is starting to fill some of that gap.

And it isn't happening alone.

The surrounding Gateway area continues to attract new hospitality, entertainment, retail and employment projects, creating more reasons for people to visit and spend time in this part of Mesa.

That's when a community starts to feel different.

It's no longer just somewhere people live.

It becomes somewhere people actually go.

What About the City's Investment?

The hotel project has also brought attention to the infrastructure needed around the development.

Mesa is considering a sales-tax reimbursement agreement of up to approximately $950,000 for eligible public infrastructure improvements connected to the hotel project.

That money would not simply be handed to the developer upfront. The reimbursement would be tied to eligible improvements and generated tax revenue from the project.

It's another example of how larger developments can involve public infrastructure, private investment and long-term economic planning all at the same time.

East Mesa Doesn't Need to Become Scottsdale

I actually hope it doesn't.

Scottsdale already has its own identity.

East Mesa can have something different.

Cannon Beach doesn't need to recreate Old Town Scottsdale or become another high-end shopping district.

It can be its own thing.

Surfing in the desert.

Outdoor recreation.

Restaurants.

Events.

Hotels.

Family activities.

And eventually, a place where people can spend an entire weekend without feeling like they need to drive across the Valley.

That's what makes this project interesting to me.

I'm not saying East Mesa is suddenly becoming Scottsdale.

I think something better could happen.

East Mesa could start creating its own reason for people to stay.

And if the hotel and the rest of Cannon Beach continue moving forward, this could be one of the first developments that really helps make that happen.