City of Phoenix officials have confirmed that Metrocenter will be torn down in late August or early September. The mall, which is located near Interstate 17 and Dunlap Avenue, will be transformed into a walkable urban village as part of an $850 million redevelopment project that will include residential units, retail spaces, bars and restaurants.
Metrocenter’s demolition was originally scheduled for summer 2023 but was postponed because Concord Wilshire Capital, the Florida-based real estate developer involved with the project, encountered issues with securing financing.
Once Metrocenter's demolition begins, it will mark the end of an era for Phoenix, as the mall was both a beloved shopping destination and a cultural landmark.
Metrocenter: An iconic Phoenix mall
Metrocenter opened in 1973 and was unique in both its size and amenities. At the time, it was the largest mall west of the Mississippi River, the only one in the U.S. to feature five department stores (including now-defunct retailers like Goldwater's and Diamond’s) and the Southwest’s first “super-regional” mall. Its interior boasted a sleek design and an indoor ice skating rink, a first for Arizona in those days.Over the following decades, Metrocenter became a retail and cultural hub for generations of locals. Families flocked to the mall to shop while teens and 20-somethings came to hang out or cruise around the mall’s parking lot.
As Phoenix New Times described in a 2020 cover story, Metrocenter was “everyone’s favorite west side mall" for most of its 47-year lifespan.
Phoenix Councilwoman Ann O’Brien, whose district includes Metrocenter’s location, told New Times in 2023 that she was a mall regular while growing up in the west Valley.
Actors Keanu Reeves, Robert V. Barron, Alex Winter, Rod Loomis and Clifford David filming in Metrocenter's food court.
colaimages/Alamy Stock Photo
Metrocenter was immortalized on the silver screen in 1989 when it appeared in the cult sci-fi comedy film "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure." Several scenes were filmed throughout the mall two years earlier, including those in the food court and ice rink.
In 2019, the late Connie Hoy, a former Valley resident and production assistant on the film, told New Times how filming took place at Metrocenter after hours.
“We had to shoot there at night when everything was closed. And we were there for almost a week, so it was like several nights of … keeping a vampire schedule,” Hoy told New Times in 2019.
Metrocenter’s decline and closure
Metrocenter was in major decline by the late 2010s. The rise of online shopping and the rise of newer shopping centers in the Valley led to a significant drop in business. The departure of anchor stores like Sears left Metrocenter and smaller retailers struggled to survive, which further contributed to the mall's downward spiral.By 2019, the mall had become a shadow of its former self, as most retail spaces were vacant and few shoppers remained.
The final blow to Metrocenter came in 2020 with the arrival of COVID-19, as the pandemic caused the mall’s closure after nearly five decades in operation.
Florida-based real estate developers Concord Wilshire Capital and TLG Investment Partners purchased the mall in 2023 and announced plans to redevelop it into an $850 million project designed around an “urban village” concept. Metrocenter was originally scheduled to be torn down later that year.
According to AZCentral, the mall’s demolition was delayed because the Arizona State Legislature abolished a residential rental tax that Concord Wilshire and TLG had planned to use to fund its redevelopment.
Earlier this year, both companies secured alternative funding for the project, including reimbursements from the City of Phoenix through revenue generated from municipal taxes on roads, parks and other sources.
Once Concord Wilshire and TLG secure demolition and clean air permits, the mall will be torn down starting in late August or early September. The redevelopment project is expected to be completed by 2026.
