On the heels of National Economic Development Week, the City of Mesa is celebrating the grand opening of Santander Consumer USA at Centrica with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Members of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the Arizona Commerce Authority, and the team behind Centrica joined Mesa’s Mayor John Giles and Vice Mayor Dennis Kavanaugh for the event.
Santander’s grand opening signifies an important new chapter for Mesa’s Fiesta District, one that promises to bring nearly 1000 new jobs to the area. The technology-driven consumer finance company specializes in auto finance and unsecured consumer lending products. It’s a subsidiary of Banco Santander, a retail and commercial global bank. In a landmark deal late last year, Santander agreed to a 10-year lease at Centrica. It’s a significant transaction because it represents a promising future for the Mesa Fiesta District, which took a big hit during the recession.
Centrica is the result of an adaptive reuse project by Phoenix Rising Investments (PRI). Willmeng Construction was part of the award-winning team assembled by PRI to transform a vacant, worn-down big box retail center into prime office space. Willmeng led the tenant improvements, featuring 20-foot high exposed ceilings, open floor plates, and modern finishes.
Located at Southern Avenue and Alma School Road, the southeast Valley offers Santander a skilled workforce. Employees enjoy easy freeway access and plenty of walkable amenities. Currently, Santander employs 188 people with plans to grow their workforce over the next three years.
