Phoenix’s first shopping mall could be site for Amazon’s second headquarters

PHOENIX — A 1950s-era shopping mall in Phoenix could soon be the site for Amazon’s second headquarters, the Phoenix Business Journal reported on Tuesday.

Park Central Mall, the first shopping mall in Phoenix, which opened in 1957, is looking to be the primary site that Phoenix will be pitching to Amazon, which is looking for a second home after bursting out of its Seattle headquarters.

The site, which is located near Central Avenue and Osborn Road, is now a mixed-use, business park. The site is known as Park Central and is primarily occupied by regional administrative offices for Dignity Health and regional offices for the UnitedHealth Group.

The company is looking to house its second headquarters in a prime location that is close to public transit and has plenty of space to grow. Park Central Mall is located on a 46-acre plot of land that has its own Central at Osborn/Midtown Station stop on the Light Rail.

According to the publication, Amazon will spend more than $5 billion to build another headquarters in North America to house as many as 50,000 employees. The company is also hoping for tax breaks, grants and other incentives. It will be accepting bids this month.

But Phoenix is not the only Arizona city vying for the company’s attention: The mayors of both Mesa and Chandler also voiced a desire to have the company in their city, but said “we will all coalesce behind the city that Amazon would … prefer. It will benefit all of us.”

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said in September that the state will try to persuade Amazon to locate here, but noted that the rush by states to lure the online giant will be competitive.

A recent poll found that 49 percent of Arizonans want state leaders to work and attract Amazon to establish its new headquarters in the state.

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