Phoenix’s first shopping mall to get $57M transformation
Oct 19, 2017, 4:15 AM | Updated: 10:47 am
(Photo: Park Central)
(Photo: Park Central)
PHOENIX — The Park Central Mall in Phoenix is getting a face-lift.
The Park Central Mall on Central Avenue and Earll Drive is known as the city’s first-ever shopping mall. The mall first opened in 1957.
The former shopping mall has officially been purchased by Plaza Companies and Holualoa Companies, which plans on transforming it from office buildings and data centers to a sprawling mixed-use center full of shops and restaurants.
But with the start of something new comes the closure of Park Central Deli, a deli that has been operating in the complex since it first opened. The deli will be closed after 60 years of service because the lease is up and its owners are retiring.
In a statement, the owners of the restaurant thanked their “loyal customers for….[making] this a tremendously satisfying experience.”
The name of the mall is expected to stay the same, but will get a modern twist with its logo. The companies are working with architect richärd+bauer and DPR Construction on the project.
The 337,000-square foot property will be transformed into several “districts” that will each have their own names.
The Link will be a “prominent visual statement” of the mall’s new identity along Central Avenue, while The Market will offer pedestrians a shaded connection to Central Avenue.
The Goldwater Building will be a large office space, The Porch will be a large space for food and drink retailers, The Hub will be an “inventive creative space” and The Lofts will be “authentic work spaces.”
The Yard will allow people a place to go outdoors to work and play and The Lane will promote a healthy culture while reconnecting the mall to the “urban fabric.”
The cost of the renovations is expected to be about $57 million. Construction is expected to start in the next couple of weeks and officials did not give a date when it will be completed.
In a statement, Plaza Companies CEO Sharon Harper said the company’s goal is to transform the space into a “truly innovative and exceptional work environment.”
The renovated mall is also expected to bring an economic boost to nearby neighborhoods, Phoenix Vice Mayor Laura Pastor said.
“This sale is a big step in the right direction for Midtown and Central Phoenix, especially as this growing area continues to develop and transform,” she said.
“I am optimistic to see what more is in store, and how this and further investment ushers in a new era of endless opportunities.”
