Good morning, Eastmark. The week's story: a 170-acre data center campus proposed for Pecos and Crismon goes before the city's Planning and Zoning Board on Tuesday with staff recommending approval. Also this week — your CFD tax bill is changing, with all three Eastmark-area district boards holding final budget hearings Wednesday morning. Gateway Library has programming every day through Thursday, and the Farmers Market returns Saturday at the Great Park.
Your Eastmark CFD tax bill is changing — here's how much
The three special-district boards covering Eastmark and Cadence adopted tentative FY 2026-27 budgets last Thursday. The headline: Eastmark CFD No. 1's combined rate falls 17%, from $2.27 to $1.89 per $100 of assessed value. The average CFD No. 1 home pays $591 in district tax next year, down from $701.
CFD No. 2 (newer phases east of Ray) is barely moving on rate, but average bills rise about $40 as home values climbed. Cadence CFD trims 5%, saving an average $34. SAD assessments ($2,000–$3,500 per lot) are unchanged.
What this means for you: Look at your last property tax bill for the "CFD" line — that's what's changing. If you're in CFD No. 1 (most of original Eastmark), you'll see roughly $110 less next year. If you're in CFD No. 2 (newer phases east of Ray), expect about $40 more even with a flat rate, because your home is worth more. Cadence residents save about $34. None of this affects your regular Mesa property tax or your HOA dues — it's the separate district line.
Public hearings make it final Wednesday at 7:30 AM, City Council Chambers, 20 East Main. All three boards meet the same morning. Mark Freeman chairs; Scott Somers is vice chair.
A 170-acre data center heads to Planning Board Tuesday
Heads up: NTT is back at the city next Tuesday with another big one. They're proposing a 170-acre data center campus at the northeast corner of Pecos and the future Crismon alignment — about 2.26 million square feet of buildings, or roughly 39 football fields under roof. Staff is recommending approval.
The "PH10" in the project name means this is NTT's tenth phase in Mesa — they've been quietly building out this corridor for years. What's worth paying attention to is the cumulative picture: NTT's expansion, Apple's manufacturing site on Signal Butte (Council vote Monday, May 18), and the 208-unit Liv at Eastmark recently approved at Ellsworth and Ray. Between them, most of the remaining open land along Eastmark's eastern perimeter is spoken for.
Data centers are quiet neighbors — no retail, no traffic, no one knocking on doors. But the land-use call Tuesday is permanent. Once 170 acres gets locked into this designation, it doesn't convert back. The character of this stretch of Crismon is being decided now.
If P&Z recommends approval, it goes to City Council next. Project narrative on Legistar.
At a glance
Project: NTT Mesa PH10 data center campus
Location: NE corner of Pecos Road and South Crismon Road alignment
Scale: 170 acres / ~2.26 million sq ft
Hearing: Planning and Zoning Board, Tuesday, May 13
Status: Staff recommends approval with conditions
This Week at Gateway Library and Mesa Arts Center
Gateway Library at EastMarket has something running every day through Thursday:
📚 Toddlertime — Tuesday, May 12, 9:30 am. Early childhood storytime. Details.
🎨 Craft Night: Mug Painting — Tuesday, May 12, 6 pm. All supplies provided, adults welcome. Details.
📖 Family Storytime — Wednesday, May 13, 9:30 am. Details.
🧪 Walk-In Wednesdays — Wednesday, May 13, 1 pm. Crafts, stories, or a STEAM experiment in the Youth Activity Room. Supplies are limited. Details.
💃 Funityfit: Dance Fitness — Thursday, May 14, 5:30 pm. Music-driven dance workout, all ages and levels. Details.
Mesa Arts Center has a full weekend, worth the drive downtown:
🎭 MET: RENT — Friday, May 15, 7:30 pm. Mesa Encore Theatre's production of the Pulitzer-winning rock musical. Details.
🩰 Heritage Academy Dance Shows — Friday, May 15. Ballroom Showcase at 6 pm, Dance Concert at 8:30 pm. Two shows in one night for families with students in the program. Details.
🎵 The Carole King and James Taylor Story — Saturday, May 16, 3 pm. Tribute show, a good Saturday afternoon option after the Farmers Market. Details.
🎤 Ram Miriyala Live — Saturday, May 16, 7 pm. Telugu film music concert from AZIndia and the Arizona Telugu Association. Details.
Around Eastmark
🏨 A 5-story hotel called Cannon Beach goes before Mesa's Design Review Board on Tuesday, May 12. The proposed site is the southeast corner of South Power Road and East Warner Road, 1.3 acres with roughly 110,000 square feet across five floors. The DRB evaluates architecture, landscaping, and site layout before a project reaches City Council — it is a step most major Mesa projects go through before any ground breaks. Project narrative (PDF).
🏘️ EastMarket & Builders
What's on at EastMarket and in the Eastmark neighborhoods this week:
🌽 Eastmark Farmers Market — Saturday, May 16, 8 am to noon. Great Park parking lot, just south of Gateway Library. Vendor applications are open at eastmarkmarketaz.com. Details.
🎭 Toddler Time: Emotions — Thursday, May 14, 9 am, The 'Mark classroom at 10100 E Ray Rd. Music, movement, colorful scarves, and a feelings wheel craft to take home. Registration required. Details.
🎮 Gaming Club — Friday, May 15, 5 to 8 pm, The 'Mark classroom. Bi-weekly open gaming session. Details.
Still Tracking
Quick check-in on stuff covered in past editions:
🛒 Sprouts at EastMarket (Ray and Ellsworth). Construction underway. Building wraps up around August, Sprouts opens Q4 2026.
🍎 Apple manufacturing on Signal Butte. Council votes on the Foreign Trade Zone agreement Monday, May 18.
🏢 Liv at Eastmark (NE corner Ellsworth and Ray). 208 apartments across 12 buildings, recently approved. Construction next.
🔧 Brakes Plus Mesa (Ellsworth and Elliot). Auto shop still working through council site plan tweaks.
Around the Valley
A few picks worth leaving Eastmark for this week:
🏎️ Friday Night Drags, Firebird Motorsports Park, Chandler. Bracket racing Friday, May 15. Chandler is the closest of this week's valley picks from the southeast side. Tickets.
🏀 Phoenix Mercury vs. Minnesota Lynx. Early in the WNBA season, Tuesday, May 12, 7 pm at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. Tickets.
🎸 The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton. Two stylistically opposite headliners sharing a stage at Arizona Financial Theatre, Tuesday, May 12, 7:30 pm. Tickets.
🎤 The Moth: I Got It From My Mama. Live storytelling night at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, Thursday, May 14, 8 pm. Good timing: Mother's Day was Sunday. Tickets.
That's the Monday Brief for May 11. Back Thursday with the weekend preview.
