The new 464-acre master-planned community Cadence at Gateway of Mesa has broken ground on yet another new neighborhood, something that seems to happen with growing regularity. 

The community is located in an area known as Gateway within the East Valley near major commuting routes Ray and Pecos Roads, the Loop 202 SanTan Freeway, and State Route 24. Per the Phoenix Business Journal, Harvard Investments will invest an additional $40 million into the first phase to include residential and commercial aspects. They had already invested $37 million into the land in 2012. 

Tim Brislin, vice president of Harvard Investments, was unsure if the company would develop the commercial property on their own, with a partner, or sell the land so someone else can develop it. Ideally, he would like to “quarterback” the project and make sure it’s developed properly, adding that he’d like to see retail and office space as well as a hotel on the site. 

Courtesy of Cadence at Gateway

CFO Katherine Astrom referred to this as a “milestone project” for Harvard Investments, telling AZ Big Media that “from extensive research and ongoing collaboration with the City of Mesa, to the world-class talent assembled, we’re working to create a unique and interconnected master-planned community complementing the lifestyles of our buyers that will stand the test of time.” 

The move for commercial development investment comes as Cadence has been marketing itself as a “different” type of master-planned community, citing distinct qualities that differentiate them from other master-planned communities. The new community offers intimate neighborhoods with an average of 10 homes, abundant parks and trail systems, a main street business parkway, on-site amenities, and a centrally located school site. The hope is to provide residents with “harmonious living.” Among all that, they want to offer residences with modern conveniences, earth-friendly features, and distinct floor plans for homeowners in different stages of life.

The Cadence at Gateway community just keeps growing. In November, David Weekly Homes announced they were building a 72-home neighborhood situated on the southeast corner of The Square, Cadence’s community. In August, CalAtlantic Homes announced they were building 57 homes just south of The Square. And in early 2017, Pulte said they would eventually build a total of 193 homes in The Estate, Cactus, and Cyprus neighborhoods.