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Actually impressed how good Arizona Center looks at night!

Hooters still needs a sign.

And the Arizona Center desperately needs some new tenants. There's a lot of vacant space, and I still haven't heard any announcements of new arrivals.

For sure , that corner does look real nice with the new sign, it's sad that I think they are doing a better job with Park Central than The Arizona Center.

I'd love to see some clothing stores in The Arizona Center but I think it needs to be a joint effort, they can't expect one clothing store to survive, they need at
least like 4 or 5, more of a reason for people to walk through there. I don't see why it couldn't be like a small Desert Ridge with the hugh population boom around downtown and all the hotels and convention goers.

I dunno - have you been to Desert Ridge lately? The District is mostly empty aside from AMC, HotTopic and the food court. Was a bit shocked.

There’s no doubt that as soon as Link and Stewart start filling up more retail will show up downtown. Just give it time.

When the Arizona Center opened in 1990, it had a Gap, a Victoria's Secret, and a Foot Locker. They all closed within a few years. New York & Co. held out much longer but ultimately closed last year. A few blocks away, Jos. Banks tried to sell men's business clothing at CityScape but also failed.

It seems most people want to shop for clothing where they live, and not where they work. If the residential population of downtown grows enough, maybe there will eventually be some possibility of a second try for clothing shops at the Arizona Center.

I live right near desert ridge and that place is always going off! They have live music there all the time and most of those restaurants and bars are crazy busy! Try making into Barrio queen or sandbar any night! Special barrio queen never been once when it wasn't a 30min wait min for a table.

The eateries and big box stores on the perimeter are doing ok. The stores in the central part that was the main draw for the place when it opened are nearly all gone. Part of it related to the shift to online shopping - the other part, I dunno. So many empty storefronts there. Norterra is the same way. The only place successful like this in the north valley seems to be Kierland & Scottsdale Quarters. You’d think with all the influx of people to the north valley that retail spaces would be in high demand, but doesn’t seem to be the case.

Or Tempe Market Place, same thing. I been to Tempe Market Place lately and there is still plenty of retail there.

Or Tempe Market Place, same thing. I been to Tempe Market Place lately and there is still plenty of retail there. I'm sure Scottsdale Quarter has a lot to do with why Desert Ridge might be struggling with retail some.

Scottsdale Quarter is not the same type of retail - its mostly high-end boutiques. Those are thriving right now - ‘standard’ retail is having trouble right now due to fierce competition from online. Desert Ridge / Tempe Marketplace serve standard. Maybe trends will change or they’ll figure out how to come up with a decent online strategy - but until then I don’t think we’ll see Desert Ridge recover. This is the exact reason why the Estrella Mall was not built - no one signing up for leases. Just hope all these retail centers around can be repurposed towards mixed-use (like the proposal for Metrocenter). Or we’re going to have a bunch of blighted areas shortly.

Patience needed
 

It will be a whole new ball game when AC Marriott and the Apartments are built at AZ Center along with the plethora of other Apartments coming on line soon throughout downtown and continuing on. Time is on their side.

This. The only problem I see is from what I understand, they have pushed the start dates to Fall 2019...at least for Palm Court. The AZ Center refresh won't be so fresh by the time Palm Court Tower is completed sometime in 2021.

..which will land us right in the middle of our next recession.

I’d love to see AZ Center alive again with retail, etc. But just being a bit realistic here. Its not on the near term radar and may need to go through one more cycle before it happens.

^ I've long wondered if Arizona Center's biggest failing is that it's just too small. As a mall, it's tiny compared to other malls and it still has no anchors beyond the AMC. It's still an inwardly-focused strip mall that tries to be a regional power center.

The renovation sorta cracked it open with the valet, but 550 units of hotel and residential just aren't going to amount for a whole lot of retail leasing activity, especially for how much space they have to fill.

the apartment tower and hotel tower, if ever built, wouldn't alone revive the mall. add those things in with all the other growth in the area and it could revive the mall, i think.

Some Midtown/Uptown Updates:

Alta Central looks to be almost done

Excavation for Alta-Columbus appears to be done

The fomer BMO building is being actively Demo'd, scafolding set up to windows on the 2nd floor with mountains fo debri being thrown into large Dumpsters

The Retail with Fame and Hula's is almost empty, I assume Demo will come soon, more apartments.

The Old office complex on Central and 5th ave is full gutted. Slated to be a botuique hotel and restaurautn/cocktail bar.

The Affordable housing at 17th ave and Camelback is fenced and heavy macheinery is on site.

Park Central Progress: https://azbigmedia.com/new-front-por...-now-complete/

Pure Midtown appears about to open.

Both the Sprouts apartments and Stuwart Title is topped out, faccade coming soon.

Utility work at The Earl is ongoing.

Do you mean the new hotel on Camelback and 5th Ave?

I feel like that's exactly what he said.

It's going to be the Arrive Hotel.