A Phoenix indoor mall that was first opened in the summer of 1961 may be in line for a significant redevelopment.
The project is expected to see the construction of new offices and apartments, as well as entertainment space.
Located on a 98-acre site at the intersection of Bethany Home Road and 19th Avenue, roughly 6 miles to the north of downtown Phoenix, the 650,000 square foot Christown Spectrum is the oldest such mall of its kind in the city.
It has lost some tenants in recent years, but retained others such as Walgreens and a Walmart outlet.
As planned, the redevelopment will include the creation of a paseo and public plaza. Further additions to the facility are expected to bring the mall’s total footprint up to nearly 3.6 million square feet.
Additional aspects of the long-range project include the building of more than 2,000 apartment units, and a hotel with up to 300 rooms.
Project architect for the Christown Spectrum redevelopment is Streetsense, which is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland.
Still in the early planning stages, it is not yet known when work will actually begin on the project.
At the time of the mall’s opening the Arizona Republic lauded the building’s unique refrigerated air system, as well as its “bubbling fountains, complete interior landscaping, benches and a riot of colors, flowers, and birds in three courts.”
By Garry Boulard
