Maryvale Mall

Maryvale Mall
Location	Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Coordinates	33°29′51″N112°10′15″W / 33.49738°N 112.17080°W Coordinates: 33°29′51″N112°10′15″W / 33.49738°N 112.17080°W
Opening date	1959
Closing date	1990s
Developer	John F. Long
Owner	Cartwright Elementary School District
No. of stores and services	3
No. of floors	1

Last updated November 18, 2020

Maryvale Mall, originally known as Maryvale Shopping City,^[1] was a shopping mall in the Maryvale area of Phoenix, Arizona that, for a time, was the biggest shopping mall between Dallas, Texas and the West Coast.^[2]

History

Development

Maryvale Shopping City was designed by Victor Gruen and developed by home builder John F. Long, who also planned and developed Maryvale, which he named after his wife.^[3]

The mall, which was built on a lot adjacent to an earlier retail development by Long that opened in 1956, was developed a way to give Maryvale residents a convenient place to shop. At the time, Maryvale was located west of the Phoenix city limits, and residents faced about a 20-minute drive to stores in Downtown Phoenix.

The shopping center was developed with 19 stores, 111,000 square feet (10,300 m²) of retail space and 1,100 parking spaces, which included two supermarkets and a Bowling alley.^[2]

Plans for the shopping center's development were announced on July 26, 1958.^[4] At the time of the announcement, two stores, S. S. Kresge (now KMart) and Piggly Wiggly, were announced as tenants.^[4]

The shopping center's grand opening was a star-studded affair, as it was attended by Jim Backus, Jill St. John, and George Raft.^[2]

In 1974, the bowling alley was converted to a department store, in a project that carried a multi-million dollar price tag.^[1]

Conversion to indoor mall

In the late 1970s, Maryvale Shopping City was enclosed, expanded and given the new name Maryvale Mall, with a new wing of the mall anchored by Mervyn's.^[2]

The mall began to decline when Desert Sky Mall (originally named Westridge Mall) opened in 1981.^[2] Eventually, discount retailer Target moved into a mall that was once anchored by upscale department stores.^[2]

The mall was almost vacant by the mid 1990s,^[2] but the structure was noted to still be in good condition.^[5]

Redevelopment

In the 1990s, Long offered the mall property to Cartwright Elementary School District for $7.3M, with a stipulation that the external structure be preserved. The school district opened an elementary school and a middle school on the property between 2000 and 2001.^[5]

A former skating rink at the mall was converted to the district's first gymnasium, while a former movie theater became an auditorium. The parking lots were converted into athletic fields.^[5]

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References

1 2 3 Towne, Douglas C. (July 5, 2019). "Phoenix once had the region's largest mall. What happened to Maryvale Shopping City?". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved September 21, 2020.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Towne, Douglas C. (June 6, 2019). "Mr. Magoo and a Bond girl, too: John F. Long's Maryvale Shopping City attracted stars". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved September 21, 2020.
↑ VanderMeer, Philip (2010). Desert Visions and the Making of Phoenix, 1860-2009. UNM Press. ISBN 9780826348937.
1 2 "Start Made on Huge Shop Area". The Arizona Republic . July 27, 1958. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
1 2 3 Nordhauser, Alyssa. "Take Two for Big Boxes". Build a Better Burb. Congress for the New Urbanism . Retrieved September 21, 2020.

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[AZCentral1-1] 1 2 3 Towne, Douglas C. (July 5, 2019). "Phoenix once had the region's largest mall. What happened to Maryvale Shopping City?". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved September 21, 2020.

[AZCentral2-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Towne, Douglas C. (June 6, 2019). "Mr. Magoo and a Bond girl, too: John F. Long's Maryvale Shopping City attracted stars". The Arizona Republic . Retrieved September 21, 2020.

[VanderMeer-3] VanderMeer, Philip (2010). Desert Visions and the Making of Phoenix, 1860-2009. UNM Press. ISBN 9780826348937.

[AZRepublic1958-4] 1 2 "Start Made on Huge Shop Area". The Arizona Republic . July 27, 1958. Retrieved September 21, 2020.

[BetterBurb-5] 1 2 3 Nordhauser, Alyssa. "Take Two for Big Boxes". Build a Better Burb. Congress for the New Urbanism . Retrieved September 21, 2020.