The outpositioned outlet mall was bulldozed in 1998 and replaced with the open-air DESERT PALMS POWER CENTER. Only those structures surrounded in blue were retained from the original shopping center. Today, the Ice Palace is officially known as AZ Ice Arcadia.
Original drawing from www.grubb-ellis.com
A store block in today's DESERT PALMS POWER CENTER.
Photo from www.loopnet.com
The Harkins Arcadia 8 multiplex entertained Phoenicians between 1988 and 2014. After the theater closed, the building was converted into a Planet Fitness location. It opened for business in August 2014.
Photo from http://www.harkinstheatres.com
TOWER PLAZA
East Thomas Road and North 40th Street
Phoenix, Arizona
One of the earliest regional shopping centers in the Valley of the Sun was built on a 51-acre site. This was located 8.4 miles northeast of the Arizona State House, in a section of the city known as Arcadia. TOWER PLAZA was developed by Phoenix's East Thomas Investment Company, a joint venture of several Phoenix-based investors. The complex was designed by Ralph B. Haver and John Schotanus, both of Los Angeles.
A freestanding (19,600 square foot) Safeway supermarket, predating the shopping center, opened for business on June 25, 1955. Ground was broken for TOWER PLAZA on October 31, 1958. The shopping hub was implemented in two stages. The first encompassed 130,000 square feet, with the second covering 120,000.
Anchoring the east end of the strip complex was a 1-level (41,000 square foot) J.C. Penney. This store was officially launched on October 8, 1959. At the west end of the complex was a (30,000 square foot) El Rancho Market grocery. It welcomed first shoppers on November 5th of the same year. Charter TOWER PLAZA tenants included Sanders housewares, Walgreen Drug, Three Sister's ladies' wear, Western Auto, a 2-level (22,500 square foot) F.W. Woolworth and 3-level (51,000 square foot) J.J. Newberry.
Shopping hubs in the immediate vicinity included THOMAS MALL (1963) {.6 mile east, in Phoenix} and BILTMORE FASHION PARK (1963) {2.5 miles northwest, also in Phoenix}.
A 1-level (100,800 square foot) Globe Shopping City was built as a western "shadow anchor." It opened for business on April 7, 1965. The chain, a discount department store division of Walgreen Drug, was headquartered in Houston. Globe stores operated in Texas, Louisiana, Arizona and New Mexico. The Globe store at TOWER PLAZA included a Globe Foods supermarket, that was operated by Phoenix-based Fry's Food Stores.
In December 1964, the shopping center was acquired by Tower Plaza Investments, Limited, which was a joint venture of John Holmes, of Los Angeles, and several well-known Hollywood film stars. Among these were Barbara Stanwyck, Rock Hudson, Ava Gardner and Gig Young. On August 29, 1966, they broke ground on a 3 million dollar expansion.
The existing Penney's was enlarged into a 2-level (143,400 square foot), full-line store. An enclosed shopping concourse was built along the rear side of the plaza. Moreover, an indoor skating rink, known as the Ice Palace, was constructed. Overlooking this area was the 13-unit Carousel Food Carnival, a prototype shopping mall food court.
Formal dedications for the Ice Palace and Carousel Food Carnival were held on September 6, 1967. The renovated Penneys welcomed first shoppers on November 17th. Now officially promoted as TOWER PLAZA MALL, the complex encompassed 590,000 leasable square feet. Among its fifty stores and services were Guggy's Coffee Shop, His Majesty Men's Shop and Tower Records.
Two broadcast towers were located on the TOWER PLAZA site. One was used by KPAZ, the Grand Canyon State's first full-powered UHF television station. It went on the air on September 16, 1967. The Dwight Harkins Tower Plaza Theatre Cinema 1 opened on March 6, 1968. This in-mall venue was reconfigured as the Harkins Tower Plaza Cinema Twin One & Twin Two. These were dedicated on July 18, 1975.
In December 1964, the shopping center was acquired by Tower Plaza Investments, Limited, which was a joint venture of John Holmes, of Los Angeles, and several well-known Hollywood film stars. Among these were Barbara Stanwyck, Rock Hudson, Ava Gardner and Gig Young. On August 29, 1966, they broke ground on a 3 million dollar expansion.
The existing Penney's was enlarged into a 2-level (143,400 square foot), full-line store. An enclosed shopping concourse was built along the rear side of the plaza. Moreover, an indoor skating rink, known as the Ice Palace, was constructed. Overlooking this area was the 13-unit Carousel Food Carnival, a prototype shopping mall food court.
Formal dedications for the Ice Palace and Carousel Food Carnival were held on September 6, 1967. The renovated Penneys welcomed first shoppers on November 17th. Now officially promoted as TOWER PLAZA MALL, the complex encompassed 590,000 leasable square feet. Among its fifty stores and services were Guggy's Coffee Shop, His Majesty Men's Shop and Tower Records.
Two broadcast towers were located on the TOWER PLAZA site. One was used by KPAZ, the Grand Canyon State's first full-powered UHF television station. It went on the air on September 16, 1967. The Dwight Harkins Tower Plaza Theatre Cinema 1 opened on March 6, 1968. This in-mall venue was reconfigured as the Harkins Tower Plaza Cinema Twin One & Twin Two. These were dedicated on July 18, 1975.
In late 1977, Southern California's FedMart chain acquired and rebranded several Globe stores, including the TOWER PLAZA unit. This store was shuttered in July 1982. It re-opened, as a Target, on February 26, 1984. Meanwhile, J.C. Penney had closed for good on January 31, 1983.
In October 1982, John Holmes and his Holmes Development Group established 100 percent ownership of TOWER PLAZA MALL. A second major renovation of the facility commenced in February 1983. The complex was given a 10 million dollar face lift and repositioned as a value-oriented retail hub. A new name was bestowed; TOWER PLAZA OUTLET MART.
Over thirty TOWER PLAZA stores remained in business during the renovation. As part of the project, the vacant Penneys building was sectioned into 2 levels of inline stores, with Ross Dress For Less occupying an upper floor space. A small Food Court was also created. Its original vendors were Casa Paloma, Mr. T's Pizza, Soup-R-Sand, The Donut Hole, Chick 'N Sea and Orange Julius.
A mart-wide grand opening was held on August 29, 1984 Among eighty stores and services were Walgreen Drug, the Ice Palace and twin cinema, all holdovers from TOWER PLAZA MALL. New tenants included the Ambassador Factory Outlet, Designer Depot, Famous Footwear and Office Max.
A mart-wide grand opening was held on August 29, 1984 Among eighty stores and services were Walgreen Drug, the Ice Palace and twin cinema, all holdovers from TOWER PLAZA MALL. New tenants included the Ambassador Factory Outlet, Designer Depot, Famous Footwear and Office Max.
An abandoned Penneys Auto Center was eventually demolished and replaced by the Harkins Theatres Arcadia 8. This venue showed first features on December 16, 1988. It operated in conjunction with the older twin venue inside the mall.
A proliferation of regional shopping centers eventually took their toll on TOWER PLAZA OUTLET MART. The center was in a downward spiral by the early 1990s. Its decline was exacerbated by the redevelopment of THOMAS MALL -into the ARCADIA CROSSING power center- in 1994 and '95. Target, Office Max and Ross Dress For Less bolted from TOWER PLAZA OUTLET MART and opened new stores in ARCADIA CROSSING.
The TOWER PLAZA twinplex (by then a discount cinema) closed in the mid-1990s. Walgreen's moved into a freestanding structure in the northwest parking area. Devoid of tenants, the past-its-prime property was shuttered in 1998. Most of the mall had been torn down by mid-1999. The Ice Chalet, Harkins multiplex, new Walgreens and two outparcel buildings were left standing.
The demalling was done by the Newport Beach, California-based Koll Real Estate Group and Miami-based Lennar Partners. The first stores in their new DESERT PALMS POWER CENTER debuted in late 1999.
Tenants in the original mall, such as Peter Piper Pizza, Payless ShoeSource and Radio Shack, had relocated into quarters in the new shopping center. A 1-level (191,700 square foot) Wal-Mart SuperCenter opened for business on June 14, 2000. It was soon accompanied by a 1-level (131,900 square foot) Home Depot.
Tenants in the original mall, such as Peter Piper Pizza, Payless ShoeSource and Radio Shack, had relocated into quarters in the new shopping center. A 1-level (191,700 square foot) Wal-Mart SuperCenter opened for business on June 14, 2000. It was soon accompanied by a 1-level (131,900 square foot) Home Depot.
Today, the 596,500 square foot, open-air venue is operated by Dallas-based Desert Palms Holdings, Limited Liability Company. Dallas-based Sarofim Realty Advisors purchased the property in July 2005 for an "unidentified institutional investor."
Sources:
The Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona)
Retail Traffic magazine
https://www.mcassessor.maricopa.gov / Maricopa County, Arizona
Mitch Glaser's mall memories
http://www.southwestconstruction.com
http://www.grubb-ellis.com
http://www.scribd.com / "Arizona Movie Theatres & Drive-Ins" / Mike Rivest
