When the old Mesa post office opened more than 83 years ago downtown amid the depths of the Depression, it was a sign that a remote desert outpost had arrived as a growing city.
Because the city had 6,000 residents, the federal government deemed Mesa worthy of its first post office â and first federal building â rather than a contract station inside a general store or a drug store, explained longtime Mesa historic preservationist Vic Linoff.
Now the mothballed building is getting a new lease on life as an 8,000-square foot meeting space that can be divided into two rooms and used for community events, wedding receptions and other events.