Arizona Mills

Arizona Mills Mall
Aerial view of Arizona Mills from the southeast in November 2023
LocationTempe, Arizona, U.S.
Coordinates33°23′05″N 111°58′04″W / 33.38472°N 111.96778°W / 33.38472; -111.96778[1]
Address5000 S Arizona Mills Circle
Opening dateNovember 20, 1997 (1997-11-20)
Renovated2014
DeveloperThe Mills Corporation, Taubman Centers and Simon DeBartolo Group
ManagementSimon Property Group
OwnerSimon Property Group
Stores and servicesapprox. 200 (at peak)
Anchor tenants16 (at peak)
Floor area1,238,193 square feet (115,031.9 m2)
Floors1
ParkingParking lot with 6,000 free spaces
Websitesimon.com/mall/arizona-mills
Building details
General information
StatusOperational
Construction startedMarch 1996 (March 1996)
Completed1997
Design and construction
Main contractorVerde Building Corporation
Renovating team
ArchitectIdeation Design Group
Renovating firm

Arizona Mills is a large indoor outlet mall in Tempe, Arizona within the Phoenix metropolitan area. It is a tourist destination in suburban Phoenix, Arizona developed by The Mills Corporation (which owned 25%), Taubman Centers, and Simon DeBartolo Group (now Simon Property Group, the current owner and operator of Arizona Mills). Taubman has since sold its 75% stake to Simon Property Group, which had already purchased The Mills Corporation in 2007.[2][3] Arizona Mills opened on November 20, 1997, with 6,000 parking spaces and approximately 200 retailers.[4][5]

Arizona Mills is divided into six "neighborhoods", areas of the mall that originally had their own distinct architectural styles and design, with the intention of helping shoppers identify where they are in the mall. However, they have since been "de-themed" in renovations.[6] It is located on the Southeast corner of US 60 and I-10.[5]

History

Despite the term "Mills" in its name, it is not to be confused with Mill Avenue, a shopping and entertainment district near Hayden Butte to the north. The "Mills" name was part of the Mills Corporation's "Landmark Mills" portfolio.

Development and opening

Arizona Mills was developed as a joint venture between The Mills Corporation, Taubman Centers, Inc., and Simon DeBartolo Group. This partnership was announced on March 24, 1996, and was part of the Mills Corporation's "shoppertainment" model that involved combining retail outlets with entertainment elements.[7]

The site for the mall was selected at the intersection of Interstate 10 and U.S. Route 60 in Tempe, Arizona, which spanned a 115-acre parcel that was formerly owned by Taubman Centers. The Mills Corp., Simon DeBartolo[8], and Taubman all agreed to construct the 1.2-million square foot outlet mall on the site. Construction began shortly after the announcement.[7] Arizona Mills had its grand opening on November 20, 1997 with approximately 200 retailers.[9] GameWorks, then operated by Sega, Universal Studios, and DreamWorks Animation, opened one day before the mall.[10]

After opening

Three days after the mall's grand opening, an IMAX 3D prototype by IMAX Corporation, which later was acquired by Harkins Theatres, and rebranded as Harkins Theatres Arizona Mills w/IMAX, a 24-screen movie theater, debuted at the shopping center.[11]

Simon Property Group sold 50% of its interests in Arizona Mills to Taubman Centers in May 2002.[12] However, in April 2007, Simon acquired the Mills portfolio, including Arizona Mills, alongside Farallon Capital Management, for $1.64 billion, and the branding was relaunched as The Mills: A Simon Company.[13]

On May 15, 2010[14][a], Sea Life Arizona Aquarium opened at Arizona Mills. The 26,000-square-foot aquarium is open year-round except for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and features a 360° ocean tunnel and interactive touch pools.[16]

In 2011, JCPenney Outlet Store at Arizona Mills closed permanently, alongside the rest of the division. The parent company, JCPenney, cited that they wanted to focus on their department stores and online operations, as the outlet division struggled throughout the late 2000s.[17]

In March 2012, Simon Property Group acquired full control of the property's management by buying out Farallon's stake in the Mills portfolio for $1.5 billion.[18] Taubman then sold its 50% interest in Arizona Mills to Simon in January 2014, granting them 100% ownership of the mall.[19]

In August 2014, a 13,262-square-foot renovation by Simon Property Group and Villa Restaurant Group updated Arizona Mills' food court into the Food Hall by Villa, introducing 10 new dining options including Villa Italian Kitchen and Sukotto Japanese Grill. The food hall was designed by Ideation Design Group, and included porcelain tile flooring, silk plants, and custom lighting. The general contractor for the renovation was Verde Building Corporation.[20] The renovations were announced in April 2014.[21]

On February 12, 2015, Merlin Entertainments and Simon Property Group announced that Legoland Discovery Center (LDC)-an interactive children's attraction—would open at Arizona Mills, with an estimated date of spring 2016. The attraction would build on the success of the Sea Life Aquarium, specifically targeting a family-friendly audience.[22] Legoland Discovery Center cost $12 million to develop, and had its grand opening on April 22, 2016.[23]

GameWorks closed its Arizona Mills location permanently on January 29, 2016.[24] It was replaced by Tilt Studio in August 2016.[25]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Simon closed all of its U.S. malls temporarily in March 2020, including Arizona Mills and Phoenix Premium Outlets. The mall would reopen in May 2020 with strict social distancing guidelines.[26]

In January 2021, Harkins Theatres announced a renovation of its movie theaters at Arizona Mills and Tempe Marketplace. This would include the addition of an in-lobby bar, electric loungers and upgraded projectors.[27]

In July 2024, Conn's HomePlus announced they would close all 170+ locations, including their Arizona Mills location, due to Chapter 11 bankruptcy.[28]

See also

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Arizona Mills Mall
  2. ^ CNBC.com (February 16, 2007). "Mills to Be Acquired by Simon and Farallon for $25.25 a Share". CNBC. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  3. ^ Barris, Mike (February 17, 2007). "Simon Property and Farallon To Buy Mills for $1.64 Billion". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  4. ^ "Arizona Mills in Tempe through the years". The Arizona Republic. April 26, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  5. ^ a b Craven, Scott (November 27, 1997). "Megamall opens new front in war of the sexes". Arizona Republic at Newspapers.com. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  6. ^ "Arizona Mills will sport 6 patron 'neighborhoods'". Arizona Republic at Newspapers.com. June 8, 1997. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
  7. ^ a b "DEVELOPERS SHARE TEMPE MALL PROJECT". Chicago Tribune. March 24, 1996. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  8. ^ "1997 investments". Simon Property Group.
  9. ^ "Arizona Mills in Tempe through the years". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  10. ^ Webb, Marcus (February 1998). "LBE News: Namco Buys 'XS' Concept; Sega Opens New GameWorks". Next Generation. No. 38. Imagine Media. p. 35.
  11. ^ "IMAX prototype debuts at Mills - Phoenix Business Journal". www.bizjournals.com. November 24, 1997. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  12. ^ "EXHIBIT 99.1". SEC. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  13. ^ "Simon, Farallon bid $1.56 billion for Mills". Reuters. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
  14. ^ "Sea Life Arizona opens its doors". Arizona Daily Star. May 15, 2010. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  15. ^ "SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium - Inked Microblading Parlor". Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  16. ^ "SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium at Arizona Mills - Official Site". Sea Life Arizona. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
  17. ^ "JCPenney Closing 15 Outlet Stores in 14 States - Real Estate Daily News". Real Estate Daily News. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  18. ^ "Simon Property Group announces two strategic acquisitions". Simon Investors.
  19. ^ "Taubman Centers Sells Long Island Land And Interest In Arizona Mills To Simon Property Group". PRNewswire. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  20. ^ "Project News: April 2014". AZ Big Media. April 22, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  21. ^ "Arizona Mills food court renovation now complete". Phoenix Business Journal. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  22. ^ "Legoland Discovery Center to open at Arizona Mills in 2016". PRWeb. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  23. ^ Frigerio, Josh; Pazera, Justin (April 21, 2016). "TODAY: Legoland opens at Arizona Mills Mall". ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  24. ^ "GameWorks in Tempe Closes". Phoenix New Times. January 29, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  25. ^ "Tilt Studio brings video game fun back to Arizona Mills". East Valley Tribune. August 19, 2016. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  26. ^ Frigerio, Josh (May 5, 2020). "Here is when Arizona Mills and Phoenix Premium Outlets will reopen". ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). Retrieved March 22, 2026.
  27. ^ Pineda, Paulina. "Harkins updating 2 Tempe theaters, adding COVID-19 safety with financial help from city". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  28. ^ Wong, Arlyssa (August 2, 2024). "Conn's Home Plus closing all 10 Arizona stores". KJZZ. Retrieved March 21, 2026.
  1. ^ The exact opening date may vary depending on the source. This source states that the aquarium opened in November 2007.[15]
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