Mesa furniture store set for transformation

[Source: David Woodfill, Tribune] -- Brian Thune's view on downtown Mesa is similar to his perspective on his 88-year-old building housing his furniture store - all it needs is a vision and hard work to reach its true potential. Thune, who owns the historic Drew Building at 37 W. Main St., with his wife, Cheri, is taking the two-story structure in a new direction starting with the closure of his 10-year-old furniture business on the bottom floor. In its place could potentially be an 8,000-square-foot restaurant with a 2,000-square-foot kitchen, as well as nine modern-looking extended-stay hotel units ranging in price from $95 to $150 a night on the second floor. The Thunes are working to place the two-story structure on the National Register of Historic Places. Thune said the units will provide comfortable lodgings for traveling business professionals, including baseball players here for spring training. In the long term, he said he hopes they will appeal to tourists visiting downtown Mesa. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]