Mesa Celebrates H.E.A.T.

Healthcare, Education, Aerospace, and Tourism

Healthcare

  • Banner GatewayMedical services abound in Mesa and the East Valley. Mesa boasts world-class specialty and general hospitals with more than 1,300 beds combined.
  • Training and education is critical to build a workforce pipeline. Banner Simulation Medical Center is the largest simulation training center in the nation, while higher education in Mesa offers healthcare programs and secondary education provides training in biotech and life science industries.
  • At Arizona State University Polytechnic, Applied Biological Sciences students have access to state-of-the-art greenhouses and the Laboratory for Algae Research and Biotechnology. Unique research at the Polytechnic campus includes the work of scientists Milton Sommerfeld and QiangHu and their conversion of algal feedstock to fuel. Time magazine selected the researchers' work as one of the best innovations for 2008.

Education

  • A.T. Still UniversityMore than 40,000 students are enrolled in higher education in Mesa at schools including Arizona State University (ASU) Polytechnic, Arizona School of Health Sciences, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, DeVry Institute of Technology, Mesa Community College, Ottawa University, A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health and University of Phoenix to name a few.
  • Mesa Public Schools is the largest school district in Arizona, and the 44th largest in the country and recognized nationally for its superb educational programs and student achievements in academics, sports, creative and performing arts, as well as technical and career training. Mesa boasts a new biotech academy and an advanced health sciences academy.
  • For the past three years, America's Promise Alliance named Mesa Public Schools as No. 1 in graduation rates among the nation's 50 largest cities (MPS, Fall 2010).
  • Considered a model for career and technical education by the U.S. Department of Education, the East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) provides students with hands-on, advanced skills and training in over 40 occupation-specific programs which allow students to thrive in today's competitive job market. EVIT is a public school district that serves students from 10 East Valley school districts.

Aerospace/ Aviation

  • DARIn January 2010, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport reached one million commercial passengers within 25 months of start of service and is projected to reach its next million within 13 months. Allegiant Air passenger load factors consistently hover around 90%.
  • Commercial Passenger Service at Gateway is projected to reach between two to five million passengers by 2025.
  • More than 100 companies are adjacent to the airports, employing more than 10,000 employees in aerospace/ aviation high-tech, manufacturing and software industry clusters.
  • More than $100 million in new infrastructure development is scheduled for completion by end of 2015.
  • Cessna, Embraer and Hawker-Beechcraft all opened new business jet services at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport servicing more than 2,000 planes in their first year of operation.
  • Boeing manufactures the top-rated Apache attack helicopter as well as the newly introduced Hummingbird Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in Mesa.

Tourism

  • Mesa Arts CenterOpened in 2005, the Mesa Arts Center (MAC) is the largest arts center in Arizona offering comprehensive professional performing arts, visual arts and arts education programming on one state-of-the-art campus. MAC draws nearly 300,000 patrons each year. Mesa is home to Major League Baseball Chicago Cubs Spring Training-the biggest draw in the Cactus League.
  • 37.4 million domestic and international overnight travelers visited Arizona-equal to roughly 102,000 visitors per day in 2008.*
  • Travelers spent $18.5 billion in Arizona in 2008, which equates to almost $51 million every day.*
  • The City of Mesa has entered into an agreement with Gaylord Entertainment to bring a 1,200-room destination resort and 500,000 square-foot convention center to the Mesa Proving Grounds. The plan also calls for a 20,000 square-foot spa, Tom Fazio-designed 18-hole golf course, additional hotels, and will lay the foundation for substantial ongoing private investment and development over the next decade.  (*Source: azot.gov)