MESA, Ariz. — A popular East Valley plaza is getting ready to expand, bringing nearly a dozen more restaurants and retail shops to Mesa's Asian District.
Construction work has been underway on Mekong Plaza's 30,000 square foot expansion since the summer of 2022. In a few months, between 10 to 12 businesses will start moving into the expanded building.
Mekong Plaza tells 12 News the largest hot pot chain restaurant Haidilao will open its first Arizona restaurant inside Mekong Plaza.
The expanded building will also be home to a Korean BBQ restaurant, Taiwanese dessert shop Meet Fresh, a salon, and several other mom and pop shops.
The Mekong Plaza expansion is expected to make Mesa's Asian District even more unique.
"Seeing in build up to this, where it's a thriving community where everyone can come and visit and eat and experience stuff that you can't get anywhere else in the valley is nice," Drew Burtoni, the project manager, said.
He estimates about a hundred new jobs will be created. Dozens more parking spaces will be added to the existing property on Main St. and Dobson Rd.
A grand opening of all the restaurants and shops is planned for summer 2024.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.