Maryvale Mall
| Location | Phoenix, AZ |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 1960 |
| Management | Cartwright Elementary School District |
| No. of stores and services | 3 |
| No. of floors | 1 |
Maryvale Mall was the second shopping mall in Phoenix, Arizona, before being redeveloped, it was located on 51st Avenue and Indian School Road. Today it exists partially as a middle school, elementary school and police station. Before conversion to an indoor shopping mall, Maryvale Mall was originally known as Maryvale Shopping City.
Maryvale Mall, originally known as Maryvale Shopping City was developed by Phoenix's well known home builder, John F. Long, who also planned and developed the town he named after his business partner's wife, Maryvale. At the time, Phoenix was a much smaller city, and the mall's location 7 miles (11 km) west of the state capitol had not yet been annexed into the city of Phoenix. When the 65-acre (260,000 m2) mall was completed in 1960, it originally an open-air configuration, the primary anchors were John F. Long's own Malcom's twin level department store as well as other such anchors as, Sears, Montgomery Ward, S.S. Kresge, El Rancho Market, and the Bowlero bowling alley.
As Phoenix quickly grew and as other suburban malls opened, Maryvale Shopping City was enclosed, expanded and renamed Maryvale Mall. Part of this mid-1970s expansion also included the new addition of a Zody's retail store and the addition of a new mall wing anchored by Mervyn's. Also during the expansion, the Montgomery Ward was closed and Malcom's relocated into the vacant space while the old Malcom's space was expanded to make room for the anchor LaBelle's. By the end of the decade Best Products bought out and converted the LaBelle's and the bowling alley eventually converted to Capin's department store. The tenant changes continued well into the 1980s, with the notable The El Rancho Market becoming a Silo Electronics store, and when the Malcom's brand went under, the space became The Boston Store.
Unfortunately the Maryvale area began to decline, thus shoppers began to prefer the suburbs, the mall was becoming ever more vacant with anchors switching from department stores to discount stores. The Zody's department store was closed shop and became a Target, a grocery store moved into another vacated anchor, while another was converted into an indoor soccer field and dollar cinema.
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