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Q&AZ: When will Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix be demolished?

Closed mall entrance next to Harkins Theatre
Christina Estes/KJZZ
Former mall entrance next to Harkins Theatres which remains open.

Demolition of the former Metrocenter Mall in Phoenix is more than a year behind schedule.

The city of Phoenix and co-developers Concord Wilshire and Hines had to change their redevelopment plans after a state law changed how cities collect tax on rentals.

Steve Betts, senior development manager for Concord Wilshire, said they are now reimagining the 80-acre site off Interstate 17 and Dunlap Avenue.

Betts said construction financing should close by mid-August with demolition to begin by the end of the month. It could take 10 months because of asbestos removal.

“Unlike a lot of buildings that you can either see imploded or scraped quickly with a big grader or piece of heavy machinery, Metrocenter Mall can't be done that way for health reasons,” Betts said. “What we don't want to do is release that asbestos into the air for air quality reasons and for health reasons. So we will be removing the asbestos in advance of demolishing different phases of the mall as we take it down.”

As a senior field correspondent, Christina Estes focuses on stories that impact our economy, your wallet and public policy.
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