Phoenix has seen significant improvement these last few years, and Midtown is no exception.
Park Central Mall first opened in 1957 as a regional outdoor mall and was the brainchild of brothers Ralph and A.J. Burgbacher. The two purchased the 46-acre property – located at Central Avenue and Earll Drive – in the 1950s, and it quickly became the hub of activity along Central Avenue. By the late 1990s, much of the mall had turned into office buildings and data centers, with a few popular restaurants included in the mix.
Several developers failed to buy the once iconic shopping center on Central Avenue between Thomas and Osborn roads, but a group that redeveloped another old Valley mall succeeded in 2017.
Now, the former low-rise mall is about to sprout a tower to house Creighton University’s $100 million medical school, a nine-story apartment building, a new parking structure, an arts center to house 400, and lots of outside, shaded meeting spaces. Park Central recently reinstalled its iconic statue, the Sun Worshiper.
While retail and restaurant spaces are still being filled, Valley-based sports bar Zipps has recently taken space inside the area. Zipps joins Thai Basil, First Watch, Fired Pie, and Pita Bistro, to name a few.
Park Central is located in a central spot in the Valley, with easy access to major freeways, two light-rail stations nearby, and is in between some of Phoenix’s hottest neighborhoods. This neighborhood shows off all that Phoenix is to its core.
For more information on the Park Central Mall project, visit www.parkcentralphoenix.com.
What are you most excited about for the revitalization of Park Central Mall?
