Here’s the latest on how Papago Plaza in Scottsdale is being remade
Jun 17, 2022, 5:00 PM
PHOENIX – Developers provided an update this week about the rebirth of Scottsdale’s Papago Plaza as a retail and dining destination.
Scottsdale-based Pivot Development, which acquired Papago Plaza in 2015, said it’s keeping the name of the now-demolished Pueblo-style shopping center at the intersection of McDowell and Scottsdale roads.
“Pivot planned the redevelopment to reflect the quality deserved for nearby Papago Park, ASU SkySong and the neighborhood surrounding the site,” Lee Mashburn, president of the development company, said in a press release Thursday.
“The project establishes a restaurant and retail destination not currently found in south Scottsdale.”
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The 13-acre property was rezoned for residential use in December 2018. About 3½ years later, a new five-story apartment complex with 276 units called SEVENTYONE15 McDowell is now leasing.
Three buildings for restaurant and retail use are in the works and expected to open in the second quarter of 2023. A hotel and grocery store are also under construction.
“Papago Plaza is already generating a reputation as a new ‘foodie’ destination and as a magnet for new concepts. The tenant interest has been incredible,” Judi Butterworth, leasing agent with Orion Investment Real Estate, said in the release.
The smallest of the restaurant/retail buildings, at 5,825 square feet, will replace the existing Wells Fargo bank building on the southwest corner of McDowell and Scottsdale roads.
The other two buildings, one 8,000 square feet and the other 11,200 square feet, will be separated by a grassy “restaurant park” area.
The metal Kachina from the original Papago Plaza signage from the 1960s will be used in one of six murals on the buildings.
The new development will have room for nearly 200 parking spaces in a two-story garage along with about 150 surface parking spots.
“We have responded directly to the requests of the neighborhood by attracting engaging restaurant concepts and a quality grocer and ensuring that Papago Plaza is walkable and easily accessible,” Mashburn said.
