Maryvale Mall, originally known as Maryvale Shopping City,
was a shopping mall in the
Maryvale area of
Phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
, Arizona that, for a time, was the biggest shopping mall between
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas and the
West Coast.
The mall was located on 51st Avenue and Indian School Road. It was sold in the late-1990s to the
Cartwright Elementary School District
Cartwright Elementary School District is a school district in Phoenix, Arizona, United States which operates 21 schools in the city's Maryvale neighborhood. The district contains twelve K–5 elementary schools, four K–8 elementary schools, fo ...
.
History
Development
Maryvale Shopping City was designed by
Victor Gruen
Victor David Gruen, born Viktor David Grünbaum
retrieved 25 February 2012
and developed by home builder
John F. Long, who also planned and developed Maryvale, which he named after his wife.
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
Downtown Phoenix is the central business district (CBD) of the City of Phoenix, Arizona, United States. It is located in the heart of the Phoenix metropolitan area or Valley of the Sun. Phoenix, being the county seat of Maricopa County and ...
.
The shopping center was developed with 19 stores, of retail space and 1,100 parking spaces, which included two supermarkets and a
Bowling alley
A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a clubhouse or dwelling ...
.
Plans for the shopping center's development were announced on July 26, 1958.
At the time of the announcement, two stores, S. S. Kresge (later known as
KMart
Kmart Corporation ( , doing business as Kmart and stylized as kmart) is an American retail company that owns a chain of big box department stores. The company is headquartered in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States.
The company was inc ...
) and
Piggly Wiggly
Piggly Wiggly is an American supermarket chain operating in the American Southern and Midwestern regions run by Piggly Wiggly, LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. Its first outlet opened in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee, and is notable fo ...
, were announced as tenants.
The shopping center's grand opening was a star-studded affair, as it was attended by
Jim Backus
James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom ''Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in '' Rebel Without a Cause, ...
,
Jill St. John, and
George Raft.
In 1974, the bowling alley was converted to a department store, in a project that carried a multi-million dollar price tag.
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.
The mall began to decline when
Desert Sky Mall
Desert Sky Mall is a regional shopping mall in west Phoenix, Arizona. It is located at 75th Avenue and Thomas Road. The mall was developed by Westcor and is managed by Macerich. The anchor stores are Curacao, Burlington, Mercado de los Cielos, a ...
(originally named Westridge Mall) opened in 1981.
Eventually, discount retailer
Target
Target may refer to:
Physical items
* Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports
** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports
** Aiming point, in field artillery, f ...
moved into a mall that was once anchored by upscale department stores.
The mall was almost vacant by the mid 1990s,
but the structure was noted to still be in good condition.
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.
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.
See also
*
Park Central Mall
Park Central Mall was the first shopping mall in Phoenix, Arizona. It is located in Encanto Village, on Central Avenue and Osborn Road.
Today it exists as a mixed-use, business park primarily occupied by regional administrative offices for non ...
*
Chris-Town Mall
References
{{Shopping malls in Arizona
Shopping malls in Arizona
Buildings and structures in Phoenix, Arizona
Defunct shopping malls in the United States
Shopping malls established in 1960
Victor Gruen buildings