West Indian School Road and North Maryvale Parkway
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix developer John F. Long built the state's third mall-type shopping complex as a de facto downtown for his sprawling, post-war housing development. The moderne metropolis had been named Maryvale in honor of his wife.
MARYVALE SHOPPING CITY was designed by Los Angeles' Victor Gruen Associates and constructed on a 65.3-acre site. This was located 7.4 miles northwest of the Arizona State Capitol. Ground was broken for the project on July 26, 1958. The first phase opened for business August 29, 1959 and encompassed 250,000 leasable square feet.
The open-air center was dedicated with a "Flavor of the Old West" celebration, which included shows by The Arizona Gun Slingers. The grand opening of the Maryvale Bowlero Lanes featured appearances by Hollywood's Jim Backus, George Raft and Jill St. John.
Charter MARYVALE SHOPPING CITY tenants included The Lantern Inn restaurant & cocktail lounge, First National Bank of Arizona, Ryan-Evans Drug and a (30,000 square foot) El Rancho Market grocery. A 2-level (24,000 square foot) S.S. Kresge 5 & 10 was the Michigan-based chain's first Grand Canyon State store.
A 2-level (78,800 square foot), Phoenix-based Vandevers department store anchored the complex. This mercantile opened for business on October 29, 1959 and was rebranded, as a Phoenix-based Malcolm's, on February 11, 1961.
A second construction phase added a 2-level (65,000 square foot) Montgomery Ward, which was dedicated in mid-1960. The mall's third phase was comprised of a south store block. Its (35,000 square foot) Fry's Food Store welcomed its first shoppers on November 11, 1964. An adjacent (34,000 square foot) Walgreen Drug made its debut on January 29, 1965.
The freestanding Harry Nace Maryvale Theatres # 1 & 2 was built in the northeast parking area and showed its first features on December 25, 1971. In 1983, the complex was renamed the Blair Maryvale Dollar Cinemas. It was renovated in the late 1980s and renamed the United Artists Maryvale 4.
Shopping venues in the vicinity of the MARYVALE complex included CHRIS-TOWN CENTER (1961) {4.4 miles northeast, in Phoenix}, VALLEY WEST MALL (1973) {3.5 miles northwest, in Glendale} and WESTRIDGE MALL (1981) {3 miles southwest, in Phoenix}.
The MARYVALE Bowlero was reconfigured as a 2-level Pettett's department store in 1974, which was rebranded by Nogales, Arizona-based Capin's on December 3, 1977. Around this time, the Ryan-Evans drug store became a Revco.
MARYVALE SHOPPING CITY was enclosed and climate-controlled in 1978-1979 and renamed MARYVALE MALL. A new South Wing was built. This addition was anchored by a 1-level (57,900 square foot) Mervyn's, which was launched on November 3, 1979.
A fourth anchor store was added to the South Wing. Encompassing 1-level, the (65,000 square foot) Zodys discount mart was officially dedicated on February 12, 1981. Montgomery Ward had closed by this time. Its space was expanded. It became a new location for Malcolm's, which opened in October 1980.
The original Malcolm's area was rebuilt, with a LaBelle's Catalog Showroom opening on September 19, 1984. This store was rebranded by Best Products in August 1986. The second Malcolm's morphed into an Inglewood, California-based Boston Stores in December 1983. Maryvale Pride Pavilion, a 2-level (40,000 square foot) indoor soccer arena, was added to the mall's northwest corner and was dedicated on December 5, 1983.
Zodys morphed into a Target discount store on February 26, 1984. A Los Angeles-based Federated Group Electronics SuperStore, setting up shop in the old El Rancho Market space, welcomed it first shoppers on August 31st of the same year.
MARYVALE MALL had housed fifty-five stores in 1992. By 1995, only three remained in business; Sports Fitness Planet, Factory-2-U and a Sears Outlet. The exodus of stores continued. The final operational tenant, Factory-2-U, closed its doors in early 1998.
John F. Long devised an ingenious plan to reinvent the moribund mall. It was offered to the local school district at a rock-bottom price, under the proviso that the original mall building could not be dramatically altered.
A reconstruction project began in August 1999. The northern portion of the mall was reconfigured as the (111,300 square foot) Marc T. Atkinson Middle School, which opened in the fall of 2000. The (80,800 square foot) Bret R. Tarver Elementary School was dedicated in the fall of 2001.
There was also a (50,000 square foot) "transition school" installed, along with a police substation and community center. The old Mervyn's and South Wing were razed with a 1-level (189,300 square foot) Wal-Mart SuperCenter built on their space. This store opened its doors on August 25, 2004.
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona)
Mitch Glaser's mall memories
Maricopa County, Arizona tax assessor website
www.peterli.com
www.districtadministration.com
www.archrecord.construction.com / Clifford A. Pearson
http://www.movietheatre.org
www.districtadministration.com
www.archrecord.construction.com / Clifford A. Pearson
http://www.movietheatre.org
