By Roland Murphy for Arizona Builder’s Exchange
Originally developed in 1981, the 22-parcel, 68-acre Foothills Mall in unincorporated Pima County will undergo a massive renovation and restoration as a multi-modal live/work/play destination under an ambitious master plan submitted to the county’s Development Services Department last month by owners FHM Partners, LLC.
According to the proposal’s introduction, “Across the country, urban and suburban shopping malls are evolving to create new environments. Consumer interaction with bricks and mortar stores is changing with the increase in online sales activity over the last 5-10 years. This change in behavior and move away from outdated mall concepts provides an incredible opportunity to redevelop and reposition the FHM property to provide a unique, exciting, regional destination and living environment with existing infrastructure to support the multi-dimensional development.”
FHM Partners purchased the site, located at the NWC of Ina Road and La Cholla Boulevard, in Dec., 2016, and has spent the intervening time studying retail and mixed-use properties around the country to develop its plan. Among the planned uses are entertainment, housing, office, retail and hospitality. The current 620KSF building space will undergo a complete redesign and modification. Portions will be demolished to provide enhanced connectivity between all the proposed uses.
