Vote signals end of Mesa's Riverview Golf Course

The end is closer than was once thought for one of Mesa's beloved recreational amenities. But even as the City Council seals its fate Monday night, another vote could signal new opportunities for lovers of the outdoors. Originally scheduled for closure on April 1 to make way for the Chicago Cubs complex, Riverview Golf Course now will host its final rounds on March 18. The next day, crews begin digging up and boxing more than 200 trees that will be replanted as part of the landscaping for the new baseball mecca. The City Council is expected to make that official Monday when it approves a $424,000 contract with Hunt Construction Group Inc. for the tree-boxing project. In the next few months additional contracts with Hunt will come before the council for grading, utilities, structural steel and other work. Public spending on the stadium and practice facilities is capped at $84 million, and at $15 million for infrastructure. If the bill goes beyond that, the Cubs will pay for the overruns. Infrastructure work includes a complete renovation of the adjacent Riverview Park and moving its lake. Mesa wants to turn the park into a gateway for the stadium featuring a paseo capable of hosting art fairs and other public events.

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