PHOENIX — Demolition started Wednesday on a portion of Paradise Valley Mall that is planned to make room for new development in the area.
Crews worked inside a fenced-off area on the southeast side of the mall where the old Sears used to be to work on demolishing the building.
Nostalgia out
The gaping hole in the roof caught Rita Tranise’s attention who was passing by with her daughter.
“I’m so sad,” Tranise said.
Tranise said she has memories of years passed inside the PV Mall when it was filled with people and shops.
“We used to go on the merry-go-round when the kids were little and we used to go through the dog store and look at all the dogs and pet them,” Trainse said. “I miss it.”
Shopping habits changed
But as many malls have seen, shopping habits changed.
“The last few years we’ve been going through there it’s been kind of empty,” Tranise said.
Now, it’s more change that’s coming again as Maceriich and RED Development work on a phased plan to revamp the area.
New coming in
The plans include walkable shopping, places to eat, live, work and more.
“People were hopeful and excited about the future opportunities that are really present with that private investment and be able to also have those spillover impacts to the surrounding community,” Alan Stephenson, the planning and development director for the City of Phoenix said.
The first phase is beginning with the demolition of the old Sears to bring housing and ground-floor shopping in.
In total, Stephenson said 348 multi-family housing units will be built. Construction is expected to begin in the fall on those units, a Whole Foods, and retail space.
“They’re really focused on how can they create some of that third space of where people want to hang out and where people want to be that’s not reflected in today’s mall environment,” Stephenson said.
