Mesa Riverview
An outdoor shopping center in Mesa, Arizona, serving the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Mesa Riverview is an outdoor shopping center in northwestern Mesa, Arizona, near the interchange of Loop 202 and Dobson Road. The center forms part of the retail landscape of the eastern Phoenix metropolitan area and combines large-format stores, restaurants, entertainment, and other commercial uses in an open-air environment. Its reported gross leasable area is approximately 1,115,112 square feet, or about 103,000 square meters, making it a substantial regional retail property rather than a small neighborhood shopping plaza. The project was developed by De Rito Partners on a former cotton-field site. The developer began seeking approval from the Mesa City Council in 2005 for a broader commercial development that included retail, offices, and automotive dealerships. The proposal involved zoning changes and public financing incentives, and related ballot measures were approved by voters. Construction began in 2006, with stores opening in 2007. The development therefore emerged during a period when municipalities in the Phoenix area were using large mixed-use or retail projects to convert underutilized land and expand their commercial tax base. Mesa Riverview's tenant mix has historically emphasized destination and value-oriented retail. Listed anchor and major tenants have included Bass Pro Shops, Cinemark, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Petco, Walmart, Marshalls, OfficeMax, and Jo-Ann Fabrics. These uses give the center a combination of outdoor recreation, home improvement, grocery and general merchandise, apparel, pet supplies, crafts, office products, and cinema entertainment. Tenant occupancy and individual store status can change over time, so the historical list should not be treated as a complete current directory. In 2012, part of the complex was demolished or reconfigured to improve pedestrian access to the center's outdoor retail areas. The work received close attention from Mesa planning officials because the project had benefited from more than $80 million in financing-related tax incentives. The change illustrates the operational challenge of maintaining a walkable customer experience in a large-format power-center environment designed around automobile access. Mesa Riverview is located less than two miles from Tempe Marketplace, another major open-air retail center. The proximity places the properties in direct competition for shoppers from Mesa, Tempe, and nearby communities. The two centers also compete for entertainment-oriented traffic and younger consumers, although the tenant composition and surrounding development patterns are not identical. Mesa Riverview is currently owned by Kimco Realty Corporation, a major U.S. owner and operator of open-air shopping centers.
History
Mesa Riverview was developed on a former cotton field in northwestern Mesa, Arizona, near Loop 202 and Dobson Road. Its development reflected the expansion of the Phoenix metropolitan area's suburban commercial network and the effort by local authorities and private developers to convert undeveloped or agricultural land into a large retail and employment district. De Rito Partners began pursuing approvals from the Mesa City Council in 2005. The proposal was broader than a conventional shopping center: it contemplated commercial retail, office space, and automotive dealerships. Because the project required zoning changes and public support for tax-related incentives, several ballot measures were placed before voters. The measures passed, enabling the project to move forward with a substantial public-financing component. Contemporary accounts and later summaries describe the development as having received more than $80 million in financing tax incentives. Construction began in 2006. The first stores opened in 2007, establishing Mesa Riverview as a large open-air retail destination. Its reported gross leasable area is approximately 1,115,112 square feet, equivalent to roughly 103,000 square meters. The center's tenant strategy relied on recognizable large-format and destination retailers, including Bass Pro Shops, Cinemark Theatre, Home Depot, Bed Bath & Beyond, Petco, Walmart, Marshalls, OfficeMax, and Jo-Ann Fabrics. Together, these tenants represented a mix of entertainment, home improvement, outdoor recreation, general merchandise, apparel, pet products, office supplies, and crafts. The site's scale and automobile-oriented layout also created a challenge around internal circulation. In 2012, part of the complex was demolished or altered to provide a more pedestrian-friendly way to reach the outdoor portions of the center. Mesa planning officials closely observed the change, in part because the property had been supported by significant tax-incentive financing. The intervention indicates that the center's development was not treated as complete when the original stores opened; its physical design continued to be adjusted in response to customer access and urban-planning concerns. Mesa Riverview operates within a competitive East Valley retail environment. Tempe Marketplace, another large open-air shopping center, is located less than two miles away. The close proximity means that both properties seek overlapping traffic from residents, regional visitors, and entertainment shoppers. Arizona State University students have been identified as a customer group more strongly drawn to Tempe Marketplace, illustrating how nearby centers can compete while developing somewhat different audience profiles. Kimco Realty Corporation is identified as the current owner. As an open-air shopping-center owner and operator, Kimco's ownership places Mesa Riverview within a broader portfolio of U.S. retail properties. Specific tenant rosters, operating arrangements, and management details may change over time, and the available reference material does not establish a complete current directory or a detailed ownership chronology.
- 2012
Pedestrian-access redesign
[1]Part of the complex was demolished or reconfigured to make access to the outdoor retail areas more pedestrian-friendly.
- 2007
Initial stores opened
[1]Mesa Riverview began opening stores and became an operating retail destination in Mesa.
- 2006
Construction began
[1]Construction started on the planned outdoor shopping center at the former cotton-field site.
- 2005
Development approvals pursued
[1]De Rito Partners began seeking Mesa City Council approval for a commercial project containing retail, office, and automotive uses. Zoning changes and tax-incentive measures were submitted to voters and approved.
Products and positioning
A large open-air, destination-oriented shopping center combining major-format retail, entertainment, and everyday services for consumers in Mesa and the broader East Valley of the Phoenix metropolitan area.
Outdoor recreation retail
Bass Pro Shops
A destination outdoor-recreation anchor associated with sporting goods, hunting, fishing, camping, and related equipment. Its presence contributes to Mesa Riverview's role as a regional rather than purely convenience-oriented shopping center.
Cinema and entertainment
Cinemark Theatre
A cinema anchor providing movie exhibition and entertainment traffic. The theater broadens the center's use beyond daytime shopping and supports evening and weekend visits.
Home improvement retail
Home Depot
A large-format home-improvement store serving repair, renovation, building-material, hardware, and do-it-yourself needs. It is one of the destination-oriented anchors associated with the center.
General merchandise retail
Walmart
A broad general-merchandise anchor offering everyday consumer goods and value-oriented shopping. Its presence supports recurring local traffic in addition to regional destination visits.
Pet supplies
Petco
A specialty retailer focused on pet food, supplies, accessories, and related services. It adds an everyday-needs category to the center's otherwise varied destination mix.
Off-price apparel and home goods
Marshalls
An off-price retailer offering discounted apparel, accessories, footwear, and selected home merchandise. The format complements Mesa Riverview's value-oriented and comparison-shopping appeal.
Arts and crafts retail
Jo-Ann Fabrics
A specialty craft and fabric retailer serving sewing, quilting, textile, seasonal, and do-it-yourself project needs. It provides a category-specific destination within the shopping center.
Brand decisions
2012
Reconfiguration for pedestrian accessStrategyBackground
The large outdoor center's original circulation pattern did not provide an ideal pedestrian connection to its open-air retail areas.
Action taken
A portion of the complex was demolished or reconfigured to create a more pedestrian-friendly means of access.
Aftermath
Mesa planning officials monitored the work, particularly because the project had received substantial tax-incentive financing. The available material does not provide measured performance results.
2005
Pursuit of a multi-use commercial developmentStrategyBackground
De Rito Partners proposed transforming a former cotton-field site into a large project combining retail, offices, and automotive dealerships. The plan required zoning changes and public support for tax-related incentives.
Action taken
The developer sought city approval and advanced ballot measures that enabled the project to proceed.
Aftermath
The measures passed, construction began in 2006, and the retail center opened stores in 2007.
Financing tax incentives. More than $80 million in financing tax incentives associated with the development (Development period; exact timing not specified)
Recent events
- 2012
Part of the complex was removed to improve pedestrian access[1]
Other
A portion of Mesa Riverview was demolished or reconfigured as part of an effort to create a more pedestrian-friendly connection to the center's outdoor retail areas.
- 2007
Stores began opening at Mesa Riverview[1]
Other
Following construction that began in 2006, the first stores at the outdoor shopping center opened to customers.
- 2005
Mesa Riverview retail project received approval to proceed[1]
Other
De Rito Partners obtained the municipal and voter support needed to advance a large commercial project on a former cotton-field site in Mesa. The proposal included retail, office, and automotive uses and involved zoning changes and tax-related incentives.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/mesa-riverview · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled