State-of-the-art women’s health and sports campus to be built at former site of Fiesta Mall in Mesa

PHOENIX — A state-of-the-art women’s health and sports campus will be built at the former Fiesta Mall site in Mesa, officials announced Wednesday.

The campus will be located inside the newly created Palo District near Southern Avenue and Alma School Road, according to Scottsdale-based Sunny Day Sports, which owns the property.

“This new women’s health campus embodies exactly what this redevelopment is about, creating transformative, future-focused assets that elevate the quality of life in our region and specifically for women,” Sunny Day Sports CEO Vicki Mayo said during a press conference. “The campus will be a cornerstone of the broader Palo District redevelopment and revitalization project.”

Because the project is still in the master-planning stage, a groundbreaking date has not been set, but officials expect construction to begin in the second quarter of 2026.

“It will, of course, take a couple of years to get the buildings up and operating, but you’re going to see a number of things happen all at one time here,” Sharon Harper, the chair and CEO of Peoria-based Plaza Companies, which is developing the Palo District, said.

Details of new women’s health and sports campus in Mesa

While specific details about the project are limited, Mayo described the campus as “one of the most significant investments in women’s health, wellness and athletic performance in Arizona and the nation’s history.”

The health center will include areas for:

• Aging and longevity health services
• Perimenopause, menopause and hormone replacement therapy services
• Behavioral health and integrative care services
• Diagnostic, outpatient and other specialty care services

Additionally, the sports center will include areas for performance training, sports medicine, recovery treatments and multidisciplinary programs tailored to women’s athletics.

“This campus aims to elevate Mesa as a national leader in women-centered health and performance,” Mayo said. “The future of this site is beyond exciting. It is transformative, not just for athletes and not just for women, but for all of Arizona.”

Officials added that the project will be built in partnership with “leading health care providers, universities, nonprofits and sports organizations,” but no specific organizations were named.

Mayo added that announcements about partners and other details are expected in the next few months.

Will a soccer stadium be built at the Palo District in Mesa?

In November, the Mesa City Council voted to rezone the Fiesta Mall site as a theme park district and create the Palo District. At the time, Mayor Mark Freeman said this was done in the hopes of bringing both a Major League Soccer team and a National Women’s Soccer League team to the East Valley, a goal that was echoed on Wednesday.

“We’re not ready to comment at this time on how professional sports might be integrated into the Palo District,” Mayo said. “However, we can say that one of the goals is to help prepare Arizona for a sporting future, including the kind of infrastructure that could lead to the highest levels of professional soccer.”

Plans for the Palo District also include restaurants, shops, hotels, business and medical offices, multifamily homes and an entertainment district.

History of Palo District

The Fiesta Mall stood at the 80-acre site in Mesa from its opening in 1979 until its demolition, which began in 2023.

The land was later acquired by Verde Investments, a company owned by DriveTime founder Ernie Garcia II, and plans were made to transform the area into a mixed-use development called Fiesta Redefined. The city council approved those plans in December 2024, but they never came to fruition.

Verde Investments later partnered with Palo District LLC, which is managed by Mayo, to request the formation of the theme park district, according to a developer agreement.

Part of that agreement included the sale of the Fiesta Mall location to Palo District LLC. Mayo said Wednesday that the sale has been completed.

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