Phoenix's Tower Plaza

The fourth post-war shopping complex in the Valley of the Sun opened for business in November 1959. Here we see the west end of the original open-air complex, which was anchored by an El Rancho Market grocery store.
Photo from http://vintage-phoenix.blogspot.com / Dave Driscoll

Our first TOWER PLAZA plan dates to late 1959. The strip center's largest store was a J.J. Newberry 5 & 10. Other major tenants included Western Auto, an F.W. Woolworth 5 & 10 and dry goods J.C. Penney. The 7 million dollar shopping hub housed around 250,000 leasable square feet, with free parking for 3,500 autos.