Construction began at Phoenix’s Metrocenter Mall this past summer on a Walmart Supercenter. The approximately 148,000-square-foot Walmart, slated to open next spring, represents the single largest capital investment in Metrocenter Mall in decades.
Metrocenter Mall opened in 1973 as the biggest shopping center in Arizona and one of the largest nationwide. Recent years saw Metrocenter challenged by the establishment of competing regional malls, changing shopping patterns and the Great Recession. Now, Metrocenter Mall owner Carlyle Development Group, the City of Phoenix and community leaders are intent on bringing new life to the area. In June, the Phoenix City Council unanimously approved a Planned United Development application for 130 acres in and around Metrocenter Mall. The new zoning allows for multiple new uses, including office, senior housing, multifamily housing and healthcare. It also provides for increased height and density at the infill site.
