Tucson Mall
Tucson Mall is a large enclosed shopping center serving Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Tucson Mall is the largest shopping mall in Tucson, Arizona, and one of the city’s principal enclosed retail destinations. The mall occupies a prominent site on Tucson’s north side, bounded by Oracle Road, Wetmore Road, Stone Avenue, and the Rillito River. Its two-level indoor layout combines department stores, specialty retailers, dining, entertainment, and mall-oriented services. Reference material describes the center as containing more than 170 stores, with a food court and Arizona Avenue, a Southwestern-themed arcade and retail area. The idea for the property is associated with Helen Wetmore, whose husband’s family had homesteaded the land in the late nineteenth century. During a 1930s trip to the Chicago area, Wetmore saw a shopping center along the Skokie Highway and formed the idea of creating a comparable retail destination on her family’s Tucson land. The parcel was kept together until 1978, when planning began with Forest City Enterprises. The mall was designed by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum of Dallas, while Forest City Dillon served as general contractor. Tucson Mall opened in 1982 with approximately 100 stores and five department-store anchors: The Broadway, J. C. Penney, Mervyn’s, Diamond’s, and Sears. Its anchor roster subsequently changed as the American department-store sector consolidated. Diamond’s became Dillard’s in 1984. A major expansion beginning in 1990 added a new eastern wing, more than 400,000 square feet of space, over 70 stores, and a Foley’s department store; the expansion opened in 1991. Foley’s Arizona stores later became Robinsons-May in 1997, and that location became Macy’s in 2006 after Macy’s acquired Robinsons-May. The mall’s interior and customer amenities have also evolved. A food-court renovation in 1993 added a carousel and Arizona Avenue. In 1994, Sun Tran opened the Tohono Tadai Transit Center adjacent to the mall, improving access by public transportation. General Growth Properties acquired Tucson Mall in 2001. A reported $15 million renovation in 2003 updated floors, upper-level railings, escalators, elevators, restrooms, the children’s play area, food court, Arizona Avenue, fountains, and the overall color scheme. Further redevelopment followed the closure and demolition of the former Broadway/Macy’s space. The 2007 project added a new entrance hall, expanded retail frontage, water features, façade improvements, security-office space, and a parking structure near Macy’s. The redevelopment also introduced REI and The Cheesecake Factory to the mall’s tenant mix. Mervyn’s closed in 2008 after the chain’s nationwide collapse, and the former anchor space reopened in 2009 as a large Forever 21 store. Forever 21 later relocated within the mall before closing in 2025 as part of the retailer’s nationwide liquidation process. Sears closed in April 2020 after its parent company announced the store’s planned shutdown. Today, Tucson Mall remains an active regional shopping center whose identity is built around enclosed, climate-controlled shopping, department-store anchors, specialty retail, restaurants, entertainment, and convenient access from major north Tucson roads. Its history reflects broader changes in American retail: the expansion of suburban malls in the 1980s and 1990s, department-store mergers and rebrandings, the conversion of declining anchor spaces, and continuing efforts to refresh large shopping centers through renovations and mixed retail and dining offerings.
History
Tucson Mall developed from an idea attributed to Helen Wetmore, whose family-controlled land on Tucson’s north side had been associated with her husband’s family since its homesteading in the late 1800s. During a 1930s visit to the Chicago area, Wetmore encountered a suburban shopping center on the Skokie Highway and envisioned creating a similar destination on the Tucson property. The land was preserved as a single parcel until 1978, when planning began in cooperation with Forest City Enterprises. The mall opened in 1982 with about 100 stores and five department-store anchors: The Broadway, J. C. Penney, Mervyn’s, Diamond’s, and Sears. Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum designed the center, while Forest City Dillon was the general contractor. The original anchor lineup soon began to change. Diamond’s was acquired and converted to Dillard’s in 1984, establishing one of the mall’s enduring anchor relationships. An extensive expansion began in 1990. The work enlarged the Dillard’s presence, added a parking garage, and created a new eastern wing on land that had previously been used for parking. The expanded section opened in 1991 with more than 400,000 square feet of additional area, over 70 new stores, and a sixth anchor, Foley’s. The mall’s food court was renovated in 1993, when a carousel and Arizona Avenue were added. Arizona Avenue provided a Southwestern-themed element within the enclosed mall and became part of the center’s distinctive identity. Public-transit access improved in 1994 with the opening of Sun Tran’s Tohono Tadai Transit Center next to the mall. Anchor changes continued through the decade. The Broadway location became a Macy’s in 1996, while Foley’s Arizona stores were rebranded as Robinsons-May on February 2, 1997. General Growth Properties purchased Tucson Mall in 2001. In 2003, the property underwent a major renovation reported at approximately $15 million. The program replaced or upgraded polished tile floors, upper-level glass railings, escalators, elevators, restrooms, the children’s play area, food court, Arizona Avenue, fountains, and interior finishes. The renovation was the first major comprehensive modernization since the mall opened. The former Broadway/Macy’s footprint was later redeveloped. The store closed in 2006 after Macy’s consolidated its local department-store presence, and the structure was demolished in 2007. The resulting project created a grand entrance hall, expanded retail areas, new water features, an updated exterior façade, security-office space, and a parking structure near the remaining Macy’s. REI and The Cheesecake Factory were added during this redevelopment, broadening the center beyond traditional department-store and specialty-retail uses. Mervyn’s closed in 2008 following the chain’s national demise. The former anchor space reopened as an approximately 80,000-square-foot Forever 21 in 2009, reflecting the retailer’s strategy at the time of operating larger stores with broader merchandise selections. GameStop also relocated and expanded its presence within the mall during this period. In 2020, Sears closed after being named in a national store-closure plan. Forever 21 later moved to another part of the center but ultimately closed on May 1, 2025, amid the retailer’s U.S. bankruptcy-related liquidation. The mall remains an active regional retail complex. Its long-term history illustrates the evolution of enclosed shopping centers in the United States, including large-scale expansion, department-store succession, adaptive reuse of anchor boxes, interior modernization, transit integration, and the continuing replacement of traditional mall tenants with newer retail, dining, and experience-oriented concepts.
- 2025
Forever 21 closes
[1]The Forever 21 location closed on May 1 during the retailer’s nationwide U.S. liquidation.
- 2020
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor closed in April as part of a national store-closure program.
- 2009
Forever 21 opens in former Mervyn’s space
[1]Forever 21 opened a large-format store in the former Mervyn’s anchor.
- 2008
Mervyn’s closes
[1]Mervyn’s vacated its anchor space after the chain ceased operations.
- 2007
Former Broadway/Macy’s site redeveloped
[1]The former department-store building was demolished and redevelopment added a new entrance, retail frontage, water features, parking, REI, and The Cheesecake Factory.
- 2006
Robinsons-May becomes Macy’s
[1]The former Robinsons-May anchor became Macy’s following Macy’s corporate acquisition of Robinsons-May.
- 2003
Major renovation
[1]A reported $15 million modernization refreshed the mall’s floors, circulation, restrooms, play area, food court, themed areas, fountains, and finishes.
- 2001
General Growth Properties acquisition
[1]General Growth Properties purchased Tucson Mall.
- 1997
Foley’s becomes Robinsons-May
[1]Foley’s Arizona locations, including the Tucson Mall store, were rebranded as Robinsons-May.
- 1994
Adjacent transit center opens
[1]Sun Tran’s Tohono Tadai Transit Center opened next to the mall.
Products and positioning
A large regional indoor shopping destination for Tucson and Southern Arizona, combining department stores, specialty retail, dining, entertainment, and family-oriented amenities.
Anchor retail · 1982
Department-store retail
Tucson Mall’s anchor format has historically included broad-line department stores offering apparel, footwear, home goods, cosmetics, jewelry, and seasonal merchandise. The anchor roster has changed repeatedly through acquisitions, rebrandings, closures, and replacements, with Dillard’s, J. C. Penney, Macy’s, Curacao, and Old Navy identified in the reference material as current or recent anchors.
Shopping mall stores · 1982
Specialty retail
The mall’s specialty-retail mix spans clothing, accessories, beauty, jewelry, electronics, gifts, toys, sporting goods, and services. Its tenant composition has evolved as national chains and local operators have entered, relocated within, or left the property.
Food and beverage · 1982
Dining and food court
Tucson Mall provides a food court with fast-food and casual dining options, complemented by full-service restaurants added through later redevelopment. The food court and adjacent Arizona Avenue received significant improvements during the mall’s 1993 and 2003 renovation programs.
Entertainment and specialty retail · 1993
Arizona Avenue
Arizona Avenue is a Southwestern-themed area within the mall that combines specialty merchandise and arcade-style entertainment. It was introduced during the 1993 food-court renovation and forms part of Tucson Mall’s local visual and experiential identity.
Brand decisions
2009
Large-format Forever 21 openingProduct launchBackground
Mervyn’s closed its anchor store in 2008 after the chain’s national failure, leaving a large vacant space.
Action taken
Forever 21 opened in the former Mervyn’s space as part of its strategy to operate larger stores with broader merchandise assortments.
Aftermath
The vacant anchor was returned to retail use, although Forever 21 later relocated within the mall and ultimately closed in 2025.
2007
Redevelopment of former Broadway/Macy’s siteStrategyBackground
The former Broadway/Macy’s anchor space became available after Macy’s consolidated its local presence.
Action taken
The building was demolished and the site was reworked with a grand entrance hall, expanded retail frontage, water features, façade improvements, security offices, a parking structure, REI, and The Cheesecake Factory.
Aftermath
The project repositioned part of the mall toward newer retail, dining, and destination-oriented uses.
2003
Comprehensive mall renovationStrategyBackground
After two decades of operation, the property required a broad interior and customer-amenity refresh.
Action taken
The mall updated flooring, railings, escalators, elevators, restrooms, the children’s play area, food court, Arizona Avenue, fountains, and interior finishes.
Aftermath
The work represented the mall’s first major comprehensive renovation since its 1982 opening.
Reported renovation cost. $15 million (2003 renovation)
1990
Launch of major expansion programStrategyBackground
The original mall footprint was expanded to increase retail capacity and strengthen the center’s regional shopping role.
Action taken
The east side received a new wing, the Dillard’s anchor was expanded, a parking garage was added, and Foley’s joined the anchor lineup when the project opened in 1991.
Aftermath
The project added more than 400,000 square feet and over 70 stores, materially enlarging Tucson Mall.
Recent events
- 2025
Forever 21 at Tucson Mall to close during nationwide liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
Forever 21 announced the closure of its Tucson Mall location as part of the liquidation of the retailer’s U.S. stores. The location closed on May 1, 2025.
- 2020
Sears at Tucson Mall announced for closure[1]
Bankruptcy · Other
The Tucson Mall Sears store was included in a national closure program and shut in April 2020.
Sources3 sources
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