By Al Litman

There is so much going on in Mesquite to write about, so lets begin with a few of the major activities planned for this fall.

We are having our annual Veterans Day parade on Nov. 6, a Saturday as usual, starting at 10 a.m.  Before the parade, starting at 7:45, we are having our morning pre-parade program at Veterans Park. 

The next day will be the start of A Thousand Flags Over Mesquite thanks to our local Exchange Club and its many volunteers.  The annual Parade of Lights and food drive will kick off in November, so stay tuned for the dates. 

This wonderful event brings in thousands of pounds of food for our needy residents.

Down at City Hall, every department has been extra busy this fall.  To start with, I have a new Deputy City Manager, Martine Greene and a new Administrative Assistant, Nancy Hewitt.  I’m glad I have them as Mesquite is hopping with new development and much more planned for the coming year.

Starting shortly will be Dutch Bros Coffee over by Walgreen’s on Sandhill.  Chipotle is eyeing a piece of property near the Panda Express and the McDonalds.  The Thai House has remodeled and reopened by the Taco Bell and Best Western.  Bombay Café is now open in the medical complex off Falcon Parkway.

Numerous small apartment and townhouse projects are under way and we just approved a 39-unit apartment complex with a 2,900-square-foot coffee shop just across from the post office. 

Over on Falcon Ridge Parkway, earth is being moved for a car wash, mini market.  Blvd. Furniture is completing their move into the old Stage building, and the Dollar Tree is expanding into the former Blvd. Store.

Out in the industrial park, Hawaii Food Trucks will be building a manufacturing plant, and we are in the final stages of bringing Crown Can Co. to Mesquite.  This company will be a major game changer for our city with high paying jobs and tax revenue.

Home building is on the move in Mesquite with Beazer Homes and Richmond America leading the way.  Sun City has over 200 homes currently under construction with many more to come.

Sales everywhere here are brisk with very little inventory available.  Hopefully this will change a bit in the near future as we need more housing for our expanding population.

Next month, I will be talking about the first new retail, commercial, residential development on Mesquite Boulevard. I’m excited to see Mesquite on the upturn and expect a bright future in the coming year.

Al Litman is mayor of the City of Mesquite