Rendering by Streetsense via City of Phoenix
By Corina Vanek | Arizona Republic
A 760-unit apartment complex that is expected to replace surface parking lots and the shuttered Costco Auto Center will be the first new development of the decades-long redevelopment effort at Christown Spectrum Shopping Center in Phoenix.
Kimco Realty, the owner of the center, submitted plans to the city to redevelop 12.5 acres of land, most of which is used for parking lots, and razing the former Costco Auto Center and gas pumps to make way for a new apartment development. The plan is part of a larger vision to reimagine the mall, which Kimco executives said will likely take 20 to 25 years to execute.
Christown Spectrum, located at 19th Avenue and Bethany Home Road, includes about 1 million square feet of retail and commercial space. The redevelopment plan incorporates much of the existing retail space, as many of the tenants still have long-term leases in place. Large tenants at the mall include Ross Dress for Less, Walmart and Walgreens. American Furniture Warehouse opened a location in the former Costco space after the warehouse store vacated its space in 2020. Target owns its location at the mall.
“Christown Spectrum will remain a viable and solid retail component of any future master (or) mixed-use plan during the overall redevelopment process,” Michael Strahs, vice president of development for Kimco said in an email. “We expect the first building to be sited where the Costco gas pumps and tire facility were located, so no existing tenants will be impacted. We see the rezoning to the walkable urban zoning designation as the first major step toward a larger transformation over time.”
