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Growth in Visitors Establishes Mesquite as a Destination

June 21, 2024

By Winston Henvey, Star Local Media

Growth in Visitors Established Mesquite as a Destination

Mesquite continues to see growth as it furthers its efforts to evolve as a destination and business hub.

At a June 17 Mesquite City Council meeting, Visit Mesquite Manager Javan Gonzalez and Economic Development Director Kim Buttram presented big wins from the first quarter of the year.

According to Gonzalez, Mesquite saw a significant increase in out-of-state and out-of-country visitors during the Solar Rodeo. Gonzalez told council that Visit Mesquite recorded visitors from around 14 countries and over 25 US states, bringing in 41,300 visitors from over 50 miles away.

Additionally, Visit Mesquite saw a 77% increase in engagement on its Instagram page and a 70% increase in engagement on its Facebook page.

“Overall, the Solar Rodeo was a success for the community because we got to capitalize on opportunities that were going to happen here already.”

Looking at the first quarter of the year, Gonzalez told council the city saw an estimated 113,000 visitors – an 8.7% increase from last year. The visitor spend potential for Q1 was $57 million – a 19% increase. In the beginning of 2024, the city hosted a variety of events, including concerts, sporting and recreation events, cultural activities and more.

According to Buttram, the city is in the process of developing a downtown overlay.

In the meantime, Downtown Mesquite staff is working to support local businesses, while continuing revitalization efforts to transform the downtown square into a destination.

National accreditation, new public art and a growing farmers market help in the city’s effort of placemaking, Buttram said.

While attending regional business conventions, Buttram reported a focus shift from industrial to retail, as new houses go vertical in Mesquite. A couple new focuses from the city include an effort to bring experiential retail to Mesquite and the establishment of retail districts.

The retail districts include:

  • The Town East Retail District: Spanning north of US 80 in Mesquite will capitalize on Town East Mall, where visitors have driven from on average an hour away to visit the mall.
  • Midtown Mesquite: Stretching from US 80 to just north of I-20, Midtown Mesquite expected to see more luxury neighborhood retail. Buttram said that a current challenge faced in the Midtown Mesquite district is the lack of daytime shoppers. However, with the expected influx of incoming employees at Alcott Station, Buttram said she expects to see more shoppers in the district.  
  • Trinity Pointe: Spanning from I-20 to the southern border of Mesquite, Trinity Pointe is seen as a fast-growing, emerging district as more houses go vertical.

More information about Mesquite’s economic development department and its efforts are available at mesquiteecodev.com.

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