Photo via Plaza Cos.
By Corina Vanek | Arizona Republic
From the first mall built in Phoenix to a nearly dead space in the middle of the city, Park Central is now a catalyst for development in the area.
A sea of asphalt parking lots is giving way to a new medical school, more than 600 apartment units, a new hotel and the biggest parking garage in Arizona, with plans for more development still to come.
It’s a sharp turn from a few years ago, when the mall was mostly vacant, creating a void of activity in the center of Phoenix.
“When I started working for the city in 2014, Park Central was kind of the hole in the donut, and the whole area was getting sucked into the black hole,” Chris Mackay, community and economic development director for the city of Phoenix said.
