Christown Spectrum Mall

Christown Spectrum Mall is a shopping center in Phoenix, Arizona, located at 1703 West Bethany Home Road. It is described as Phoenix's oldest continuously operating mall and was the city's third shopping mall. The property opened on August 24, 1961, as Chris-Town Mall, developed by Del Webb on land formerly associated with farmer Chris Harri. Designed by Welton Becket & Associates together with Tucson architects Friedman & Jobusch, the project was notable as Arizona's first indoor shopping mall and used air conditioning to create a fully enclosed retail environment. The original center was anchored by Montgomery Ward, JCPenney, and Korrick's, a downtown Phoenix department store that became The Broadway in 1966. S. S. Kresge and Woolworth were among the other early tenants. The mall's design included themed courtyards, including the Court of Fountains, Court of Flowers, and Court of Birds. A theater and additional retail space were added during the 1960s and 1970s, while a southwestern expansion opened in 1977 with Bullock's as an anchor. Bullock's was subsequently replaced through department-store succession by Diamond's and then Dillard's. During the 1990s and early 2000s, the property experienced the decline of several traditional department-store anchors. The Broadway closed in the 1990s, JCPenney left in 1997, Montgomery Ward exited in 2001 after its bankruptcy, and Dillard's closed in 2004. In response, the center moved toward discount, warehouse, home-furnishing, and other value-oriented retail. The Broadway site was replaced by Walmart, while former department-store space was divided among tenants such as PetSmart and Ross Dress for Less. The property was renamed Phoenix Spectrum Mall in November 2001, during a reported renovation program led by Grossman Company Properties. After the property changed hands in 2006, it adopted the hybrid name Christown Spectrum Mall. Redevelopment substantially altered the original enclosed configuration. A southwestern wing was demolished and replaced with a Target-format store and additional retail space; the former United Artists cinema and food court were replaced by a Harkins Theatres complex; and portions of the interior mall were removed to accommodate a new JCPenney building after that retailer relocated from Metrocenter. These changes left a smaller traditional enclosed section alongside freestanding and open-air retail buildings, making the property closer to a hybrid shopping center or power center than a conventional regional mall. Kimco Realty acquired the mall in December 2015 for a reported $115.3 million, when the property was stated to be 94 percent occupied. Later tenant changes included Costco's announced departure in 2020 and its closure on September 20 of that year. American Furniture Warehouse opened in the former Costco space on August 1, 2022. JCPenney also announced a 2020 closure as part of a nationwide store-reduction program and subsequently left the center; Burlington and Hobby Lobby later occupied the former JCPenney space in 2024. The current tenant mix includes SuperTarget, Walmart Supercenter, American Furniture Warehouse, Big 5 Sporting Goods, Burlington, Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, PetSmart, Ross Dress for Less, Walgreens, and a 14-screen Harkins Theatre. The center is served by the Montebello/19th Avenue station on the Valley Metro Rail system.

Christown Spectrum Mall began as Chris-Town Mall, developed by Del Webb on farmland sold by Chris Harri during the late 1950s. The enclosed mall was designed by Welton Becket & Associates and Friedman & Jobusch, with Del Webb's construction company serving as contractor. It opened on August 24, 1961, and became Arizona's first indoor shopping mall. Its air-conditioned interior, department-store anchors, and themed courtyards reflected the emerging suburban shopping-center model. The original anchors were Montgomery Ward, JCPenney, and Korrick's. Korrick's became The Broadway in 1966, the same year that the property added a cinema project and the Janitor's Closet tavern. Expansion during the 1970s added a southwestern wing and United Artists Cinemas 6. Woolworth's former location was redeveloped for Bullock's, which opened in November 1977. Bullock's later gave way to Diamond's and then Dillard's. The center's traditional department-store model weakened during the 1990s and early 2000s. The Broadway closed in 1994, JCPenney closed in 1997, Montgomery Ward departed in 2001, and Dillard's closed in 2004. The property responded by introducing discount and large-format tenants. Walmart replaced The Broadway site, Costco occupied the former JCPenney building, and the former Montgomery Ward space was divided between PetSmart and Ross Dress for Less. In November 2001, the mall was renamed Phoenix Spectrum Mall, while Grossman Company Properties undertook a reported $10 million renovation program. After a 2006 ownership change involving Developers Diversified Realty, the property became Christown Spectrum Mall. The redevelopment program significantly reduced the enclosed portion of the mall. The southwestern wing was demolished for Target and other shop space; the former United Artists cinema and food court were replaced by a Harkins Theatre with stadium seating; and much of the interior connection between the central mall and western tenants was removed. JCPenney returned in a newly constructed store after relocating from nearby Metrocenter, but that location later closed. Kimco Realty acquired the property in December 2015. The mall subsequently experienced further tenant turnover. Costco closed in September 2020, and American Furniture Warehouse opened in the former Costco building in August 2022. JCPenney closed in October 2020, with Burlington and Hobby Lobby later entering its former space in 2024. The property now operates as a hybrid retail center rather than a fully enclosed regional mall. Its tenant base includes mass merchants, off-price retailers, specialty stores, a furniture retailer, a pharmacy, and Harkins Theatres. The center also benefits from access to the Montebello/19th Avenue Valley Metro Rail station. Although portions of the original complex remain, most former anchor buildings, the western wing, and the earlier cinemas have been demolished or replaced.

• 2024

  Burlington and Hobby Lobby open

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Burlington and Hobby Lobby occupied the former JCPenney space.

• 2022

  American Furniture Warehouse opens

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  American Furniture Warehouse opened in the former Costco space on August 1.

• 2020

  Costco and JCPenney close

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Costco closed on September 20 and JCPenney closed in October as the center continued to replace legacy anchor uses.

• 2015

  Kimco Realty acquires the property

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Kimco Realty acquired the mall in December 2015 in a reported $115.3 million transaction.

• 2007

  Harkins Theatre replaces earlier cinema facilities

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The former United Artists cinema and food-court area were replaced by a Harkins Theatre complex.

• 2006

  The mall adopts the Christown Spectrum name

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  After a change in ownership, Phoenix Spectrum Mall was renamed Christown Spectrum Mall.

• 2001

  The property is renamed Phoenix Spectrum Mall

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The center adopted the Phoenix Spectrum Mall name in November during a major repositioning and renovation effort.

• 1994

  Walmart replaces The Broadway site

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The Broadway location was demolished and redeveloped for Walmart, marking a shift toward discount and large-format retail.

• 1977

  Bullock's opens in the expanded wing

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  A southwestern expansion opened with Bullock's as its department-store anchor.

• 1966

  Korrick's becomes The Broadway

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  Korrick's was acquired and renamed The Broadway, while additional entertainment and hospitality uses were introduced at the center.

• 1961

  Chris-Town Mall opens

  [1]Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org

  The enclosed shopping mall opened on August 24, becoming Arizona's first indoor mall and one of Phoenix's earliest major suburban retail developments.

A neighborhood-serving Phoenix retail center combining a reduced enclosed mall with large-format discount, grocery, furniture, specialty, and entertainment tenants.

• Mass retail and grocery

  SuperTarget

  A large-format Target operation serving as one of the property's principal anchors, combining general merchandise with grocery and household categories.

• Discount retail and grocery · 1994

  Walmart Supercenter

  A major discount and general-merchandise anchor developed on the former Broadway site. Its format combines everyday goods, household products, and grocery shopping.

• Furniture retail · 2022

  American Furniture Warehouse

  A large-format furniture retailer occupying the former Costco building. The store broadened the center's role in home furnishings after opening in August 2022.

• Cinema and entertainment · 2007

  Harkins Theatres

  A 14-screen movie theater serving as a junior anchor. It replaced earlier cinema facilities during the mall's redevelopment and includes stadium seating.

• Off-price department retail · 2024

  Burlington

  An off-price retailer occupying part of the former JCPenney space and reinforcing the property's value-oriented tenant mix.

• Arts, crafts, and home décor · 2024

  Hobby Lobby

  An arts-and-crafts and home-decor retailer that opened in the former JCPenney space alongside Burlington.

• 2020

  Replacement of Costco and JCPenney usesOther

  Background

  Costco and JCPenney both announced store closures during a period of major retail restructuring.

  Action taken

  Costco closed in September and JCPenney closed in October; the former Costco building later became American Furniture Warehouse, while Burlington and Hobby Lobby entered the former JCPenney space.

  Aftermath

  The changes preserved large-format occupancy while further diversifying the center beyond its historic department-store model.

  Source

• 2007

  Redevelopment converts the mall into a hybrid retail centerGeneration change

  Background

  The original enclosed layout contained obsolete anchor buildings, cinema facilities, and underused sections.

  Action taken

  The southwestern wing and earlier cinema and food-court facilities were demolished or replaced, while Target, Harkins Theatres, and other large-format uses were introduced.

  Aftermath

  The property retained a central enclosed section but became increasingly dependent on freestanding and large-format tenants.

  Source

• 2001

  Repositioning toward value-oriented retailStrategy

  Background

  The center was losing traditional department-store anchors and faced the broader structural decline of enclosed regional malls.

  Action taken

  The property was renamed Phoenix Spectrum Mall and underwent a reported renovation program while adding discount, warehouse, and specialty tenants.

  Aftermath

  The repositioning established the direction that eventually transformed the property into a hybrid enclosed mall and power center.

  Renovation investment. $10 million (Around 2001)

  Source

1. 1Christown Spectrum Mallen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Official Christown Spectrum Mall websitechristownspectrum.com