Bridging Past and Future: Explore Class 4 Visits Downtown Mesa

Explore Class 4 recently spent a vibrant and eye-opening day in Downtown Mesa, diving into the layers of history, community advocacy, and innovation shaping the area’s future. We began our morning at The Nile Coffee Shop, where Agustin Gastelum, David Crummey, and Saul Pacheco from RAIL CDC (Retail, Arts, Innovation, and Livability Community Development Corporation) introduced us to their mission and the history of Mesa’s urban core. RAIL’s work is focused on equitable revitalization, with a strong emphasis on mitigating displacement caused by gentrification. A driving tour led by the RAIL team illustrated how decades of disinvestment and policy decisions have created stark contrasts between the north and south sides of the downtown neighborhoods—underscoring the importance of community-led development.

We continued our day at Phantom Fox Brewery, where we held a Q&A with the RAIL team and heard from co-owner Eric Cady about his decision to invest in the area and his collaboration with Goat & Ram restaurant. Over delicious pizza from Goat & Ram, we also heard from Carmen Guerrero of Cultural Coalition, who spoke passionately about using the arts to preserve cultural identity and empower local communities. From there, we visited the ASU Media and Immersive eXperience (Mix) Center, where Johanna Richards and Ari Huerta-Crummey led us through a cutting-edge facility designed to foster creativity and innovation in film, storytelling, and media arts.

Our final stop was the Mesa Arts Center, a cultural gem in the region, where Randy Vogel, Laura Wilde, and Mandy Tripoli guided us through the center’s stunning theaters, hands-on studios, and community engagement spaces. Their leadership and partnership have helped make the Arts Center a cornerstone of accessible and inclusive arts programming in Mesa. We ended the day with a thoughtful reflection, grounded in our program themes of equity, adaptability, and interconnectedness. What stood out throughout our time in Downtown Mesa was the deep commitment of local leaders to creating a community where growth does not come at the cost of displacement, and where culture, creativity, and inclusion lead the way forward.

Thank you to all of our Mesa partners who made our trip such a success! See all the pictures from our trip on Facebook.