POOL is modeled after some of the most famous markets in the country including Pike Place in Seattle and Oxbow Market in Napa, CA. It is the first of its kind in Arizona, says Brad Weinstock, CEO and co-founder of POOL.

POOL is a community marketplace that brings together specialty purveyors, small businesses, artisans and privately-owned merchants who otherwise wouldn't have an opportunity to afford rents in traditional retail venues. At POOL, rents start at $650 per month. "POOL in our case is a verb," Weinstock says. "The name references the pooling together of people, their strengths, diversities and resources. It's all about collectivism."

Located in the former Mervyn's on the northeast corner of Stapley Drive and Main Street, POOL's first phase consists of 41,000 square feet. Phase two will include the balance of the 100,000-square-foot building, which was built in the 1970s and originally housed a W.T. Grant department store.

Mervyns occupied the space until January 2009 when the chain filed for bankruptcy, leaving the owner, Los Angeles-based GRL Mesa Developments LLC with a worthless lease. The owner partnered with Weinstock to discover the best use for the building.

GRL Mesa Developments and Weinstock brought in a retail consultant, Skyler Hynes, to study the Mesa community and help develop a concept. "We could have easily re-leased the space to another big box tenant as the owner already had interest from a 99-cent store," Weinstock notes.

For more than a year, Hynes immersed himself in Mesa, making it his second home and hosting neighborhood meetings, conducting community outreach and meeting with city officials and leaders. The concept for POOL was developed over many months.

"Our goal in creating POOL was to build a sense of community in Mesa and to give entrepreneurs a platform to bring their products to market," says Skyler Hynes, co-founder of POOL.

For example, Aspen Renee Studios is a floral design company led by master florist Aspen Weeks. Weeks currently operates from her home and will relocate her business to POOL this spring. Aspen Renee Studios will sell fresh flower arrangements, centerpieces, wedding bouquets, corsages and boutonnieres.

Weinstock tells GlobeSt. the former Mervyn's box hadn't been touched since the 1970s. As part of the redevelopment, the building was gutted and any semblance of Mervyn's was removed. The ceiling was increased to 24 feet and skylights were installed to create a modern, bright environment. "We have already invested $2 million, and we have about $1 million to go," he says.

Part of that investment includes the creation of the East Main Street Café, a 250-square-foot eatery operated by POOL. In addition, POOL has formed a partnership with locally-based Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre to bring entertainment to POOL with the theatre's cast regularly performing vignettes on POOL's stage.

The stage is located in the "Living Room" area, a 4,000-square-foot space that is designed as a comfortable lounge and hangout area. This multi-use space will have a stage for entertainment and performances, an area for community meetings, a big screen for movie-nights, free wi-fi and seating.