Phoenix issues demolition permits for Metrocenter mall

Benjamin Leatherman

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Metrocenter just took another step towards oblivion as city of Phoenix officials have given the green light for the iconic Valley mall to be torn down in the coming weeks.

On Sept. 5, demolition permits were issued to a group of Florida-based developers, including Concord Wilshire and TLG Investment Partners, who will transform the mall’s 64.2-acre property, which is located at Dunlap Avenue and Interstate 17, into a walkable urban village.

The demolition of Metrocenter, which closed in 2020 after 47 years in operation, will reportedly begin later this month.

According to Steve Betts, senior director for Concord Wilshire, the process will involve significant asbestos abatement before the mall’s buildings can be torn down.

click to enlarge

Fencing now surrounds Metrocenter's parking lot in preparation for its impending demolition.

Benjamin Leatherman

According to the permits, California-based contractor Resource Environmental, Inc. will conduct the demolition. Fencing has already been set up around the perimeter of Metrocenter's parking lot in preperation.

Metrocenter's demolition will serve as the final chapter for the mall, which became a Valley cultural landmark and go-to shopping destination for generations of locals over the last five decades.

Concord Wilshire Capital and TLG Investment Partners purchased the mall in 2023 and announced plans to redevelop it into an $850 million project designed around an “urban village” concept. Metrocenter was originally scheduled to be torn down later that year.

The mall’s demolition was delayed because the Arizona State Legislature abolished a residential rental tax that Concord Wilshire and TLG had planned to use as funding.

The redevelopment project is expected to be completed by 2026.