By Jim Walsh | East Valley Tribune
One of Mesa’s last remnants of agriculture will turn into Hawes Crossing as cows grazing on dairy farms will be replaced by a sprawling master planned community designed to lure jobs and sell houses.
After months of sometimes heated debate, Hawes Crossing was approved 6-1 by City Council, with southeast Mesa Councilman Kevin Thompson warning against residential encroachment at nearby Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport until the very end.
“We’re all excited. We’re glad to see it done,’’ said Jim Boyle, one of the dairy owners with a major stake in Hawes Crossing. “With the economy where it’s at, it’s a bit anti-climactic.’’
Boyle said the dairymen are working with a land broker, who is attempting to market the property in chunks.
“There’s not any builders out there who are going to buy 800 acres,’’ said Boyle, who has moved virtually all his dairy operation to his property in Casa Grande.
Attorney Jordan Rose said a delay in development is likely from the COVID-19 pandemic’s recession, but she expects Hawes Crossing to remain a hot property and eventually develop as planned.
