Mesa Legend


Volume 42, Issue 12. Today is .

40th Anniversary Special Edition

April 5, 2005

News

Students contribute to economic growth

Adam Eickerman
Mesa Legend

Take a look around the area outside of the college and one can see a number of different businesses catering to different needs and wants, but one thing they all have in common is that students are part of their customer base.
With tens of thousands of students that attend MCC each semester, the student population is bound to have a direct impact on the economy in the immediate vicinity of the college.
Although not all of the businesses look at students as their primary customer base, students do play a large role in contributing to the City of Mesa, even if a student buys one hamburger.
The majority of businesses that attract students and acknowledge them as a potential customers are the fast food establishments, record shops, recreation spots such pool halls, bowling allies, and anything entertainment, says Charlie Deaton, CEO of the City of Mesa Chamber of Commerce.
Deaton has been the CEO of the chamber for 13 years and sees that students do make a significant impact on the economic position around the school.
Deaton also stated that some changes could be made to help businesses attract more students and liven up the shopping experience around the area of the college.
“The surrounding areas need to look newer, traffic flow in and around the campus needs to flow better, you need to upgrade. A student or anyone are not likely to go in (into a business) if it looks run down,” said Deaton.
The area around the campus is not the most eye-pleasing shopping around the valley, but it once had a prime and that time maybe has come and gone.
Recently, the shopping complex in the northeast corner of Southern Ave. and Dobson Rd., now looks much cleaner and modern.
Target’s recent opening of a new store just east of the college’s stadium on South Longmore has the potential of attracting students, because it is so close to the college.
It is more likely that student will take advantage of what each business has to offer mostly because of easy accessibility and the convenience factor.
“Being close to the school does have a benefit,” said Deaton.
Kyle Dakota, a manager of the Cheba Hut says that students do have an impact on the business.
“Students definitely have an impact. I can certainly notice it when they are out of school,” said Dakota.
Dakota continued to say that although it is noticeable at the location by MCC it is extremely noticeable at the establishment by ASU.
This in part is because the community college is more of a commuter school rather than a university.
While some businesses do attract students there are those around the school that do not.
Some of these businesses include services, insurance agencies, and realtors, said Deaton.