A rendering of The Metropolitan, the new development that will take shape at the site of the former Metrocenter Mall, shows the project’s relation to the Valley Metro light rail station (rendering by RSP Architects).

At noon on Nov. 18, a trio of excavators lined up in front of the Dillard’s store at the shuttered Metrocenter Mall, as the developers, their partners, city leadership and other stakeholders gathered to say a few words. Then, Ann O’Brien, who represents Council District 1, climbed aboard one machine and made the first ceremonial hole in the side of the building. The pros took over after that, taking out a giant corner section, before pausing for photo ops.

The exterior demolition of Metrocenter Mall officially began Monday, Nov. 18 (photo by Kathryn M. Miller).

Metrocenter Mall is coming down – finally and bittersweetly.

The iconic Phoenix mall at the northwest corner of Dunlap Avenue and the I-17 had been a community mainstay since opening its doors in October 1973. But in 2013, a redevelopment plan was proposed: a PUD (Planned Unit Development) with the ultimate goal of “buildings, pedestrian/bicycle connections, open space, activated street frontages, dynamic signage, shade, etc. that integrate employment, retail, commercial, entertainment, and residential uses…that will support and build upon one another.”

That plan was approved by the city in June 2016; the mall went into decline but still served the community until, in summer 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mall closed its doors permanently. Amended redevelopment plans were put forth in July 2022, with developer Concord Wilshire on board, and the plan was adopted by city council in November 2022. The sale officially closed in January 2023.

Since that time, many public and private farewells have been made; interior demolition began, and in September of this year, fencing finally went up around the project perimeter, signaling that the end was near for the venerable mall that served so many for so long.

So, what’s next?

The demolition will make way for an $850 million redevelopment that will “transform the site into a vibrant multi-use, self-contained, transit-oriented community encompassing the city’s new Metro Light Rail station,” said developers Concord Wilshire Capital and TLG Investments Partners, who will work in partnership with Diversified Partners and Hines. Demolition will take approximately a year, with retail expected to begin going vertical two to four months after that.

Now being called The Metropolitan, current plans for the property include 1,100 townhomes, dining and recreational spaces, and a retail component that will be known as The Loop – a tip of the hat to the Metro Parkway that loops around the project perimeter and has served as a memory maker for thousands of residents in decades past.

The Metropolitan, however, is just the beginning of major redevelopment plans for the area. Happening concurrently, the City of Phoenix Planning Department has been working on its Northwest Extension Phase II Transit Oriented Community (TOC) plan – also known as the Metro District plan.

The study area for the Metro District plan is roughly 19th Avenue west to 35th Avenue, Butler Drive north to Peoria Avenue, and impacts communities located along and near the Northwest Extension Phase II, a 1.6-mile connection from Valley Metro’s light rail system at 19th and Dunlap avenues to the Thelda Williams Transit Center at the former Metrocenter Mall. The extension opened for service Jan. 27, 2024, and Valley Metro says that more than 394,000 rides have taken place across the three new stations between January and September.

Transit Oriented Communities feature “compact, pedestrian-scaled, mixed-use development strategically located within a short walk of high-capacity transit” (www.phoenix.gov/pdd/tod). And the Metro District plan will serve to “attract, guide and prioritize strategic investments in infrastructure, housing, economic development, transportation, and other areas to realize a shared community vision for the future of the area.”

The city hosted a community input workshop in February/March of this year to establish “What We Want” – a vision for the future, and a design workshop and October/November to present a visual representation of that vision. On Nov. 12, the city’s consultants hosted a virtual overview of the fall workshop and presented the Metro District 25-Year Vision.

During the first workshop, residents provided a laundry list of what they wanted to see in the area: an entertainment destination; more local businesses, retail and restaurants; a variety of affordable housing and increase ownership vs. rental; enhance the area east of I-17; more amenities along the light rail; shade to enhance walking and biking; enhance the canal and connect it to green spaces; safer street crossings; provide grocery stores; offer recreational and community spaces for all ages.

What the team of consultants came up with was three distinct development areas: the Metro Parkway Station Area, with a design presentation that focused on the area south of the Metrocenter Mall redevelopment; the Rose Mofford Town Center, built around the 25th Avenue and Mountainview light rail station and adjacent to Rose Mofford Park; and 19th & Dunlap, centered around and taking the place of the current Park & Ride at that light rail station.

The Metro Parkway and Rose Mofford areas are within the North Mountain Village Core and considered “Regional Center” TOC Place Types, which allow for high intensity buildings of 5-10 stories (or up to 20 stories); the 19th & Dunlap area is considered a “Neighborhood Center,” allowing for medium density of 2-4 or up to 5 story development. Another area within the study area is the light rail station at 25th and Dunlap, which falls within the “Medium Urban Center” Place Type, calling for 3-6 or up to 10 stories in height.

That’s a lot of information to unpack, and the project website will offer plenty of graphics to help residents visualize the plan.

Features that the consultants highlighted included “Streets for People” along 25th Avenue, 31st Avenue and Metro Parkway – all of which would offer reduced driving lanes and separated, shaded sidewalks and bike lanes. Another proposal made in response to resident feedback was creating a beautified canal scape that is safe, walkable and allows for community activation, as well as continuous connection to existing and future green spaces.

The reimagining of the 19th & Dunlap area is centered around the recently renamed and reactivated Plaza 19. The community gathering space was reintroduced to the community at an Oct. 26 event after Valley Metro, who owns the plaza and station, made a handful of security and aesthetic upgrades with the goal of increasing safety, reducing loitering, and providing opportunities for future neighborhood event activation.

The city of Phoenix, however, owns the Park & Ride, which the Metro District consultants say allows for a lot of control about what might happen there in the future. They see the Plaza as an anchor that could create community gathering and “start to build an actual neighborhood around that.” They envision a cobblestone or paved street where people could be dropped off to take the light rail, and a development that includes retail spaces on the ground level with residential above, “putting people right next to those stations, making it walkable, making it shaded, and programming out that Plaza 19 so that this becomes an activated gathering space that people can take light rail to and from.”

No plans or visions were presented for the remainder of the study area as it relates to walkability or the creation of much needed amenities outside of new development centers for existing area residents.

The next phase of the project, “How We Get There,” will take place this winter, with a finalized plan expected in winter 2025. A community feedback survey will be made available on the project webpage soon and is expected to be live through January. Residents will also find plan drafts, project summaries, future meeting dates and more information on the website: www.phoenix.gov/nweii.

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