MESA, AZ — Mesa is drawing more people to its downtown, city leaders say, as new housing developments, public transit, and a push for walkable neighborhoods reshape the city center.

About 1,500 new homes have been added downtown in recent years, bringing roughly 3,000 residents into the city’s core, officials said. More than four percent of Mesa is now designated for redevelopment as the city seeks to concentrate growth in its central neighborhoods.

“We have a downtown we want to be attractive to all age ranges,” said Jeff McVay, Mesa’s urban transformation director. “There’s the concept of eight-and 80-year-old cities, and if you build a downtown that’s attractive to an eight-year-old and an 80-year-old, you’ve made it attractive to every age range in between.”

Recent projects such as The Residences on Main and Eco Mesa are leading that growth. Eco Mesa alone adds about 500 apartments to the downtown core, giving new residents more housing options close to shops, restaurants, and transit.

“We’ve become a community, making sure it’s very walkable,” said Fourth District Councilmember Jenn Duff, who grew up in Mesa. “It keeps you engaged with your environment, businesses, and the homes, the education. It makes you feel like one community where you can say hello and feel like a neighbor.”

Residents say access to public transportation and community events have helped lure people downtown.

“I think it’s good that everybody’s coming together, being peaceful, celebrating, and getting out of the house and not being on social media,” said downtown resident Dez Lewis. “Getting out and interacting with people.”

One notable gap remains: A full-service grocery store in the downtown area. Economic developers say attracting a grocery store is a priority as the population in the core grows.

City leaders are also moving ahead with a new Cul-de-Sac development, a car-free community similar to an existing project in Tempe. Construction is expected to begin soon after recent approval by the City Council.