In an effort to connect the present business landscape of downtown Mesa with the past, business owners are being encouraged to put up neon signs – and the city is giving out money to make it happen.
When the U.S. 60 went down Main Street in Mesa decades ago, the road was lined with neon signs, many of them for motels looking to attract travelers. When the 60 was moved and Main Street was no longer a main thoroughfare, many of those businesses closed and the signs went dark.
But in recent years Mesa has made a concentrated effort to grow its downtown business core by encouraging local restaurants, breweries and retailers to open on Main Street in Mesa between Country Club Road and Mesa Drive. With a handful of new vibrant businesses, the city has encouraged companies to revive the old-school neon signs and started a grant program to help companies get them installed.
“Neon reflects the time in which our city grew up, which was during the age of the car,” said Jeff McVay, the city of Mesa’s manager of downtown transformation. “Those neon signs were put out there to be like the beacons to the travelers going across the country on U.S. 60 saying ‘Stop here. Stay here at this hotel. Find this restaurant.'
