The end of Metrocenter?

They say it's an ending. Phoenix's storied Metrocenter Mall -- an icon of American pop and youth culture in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" and once a thriving, well, "center" of many things, is shutting down.

As of June 30, shoppers won't be allowed inside. Come After June 15, merchants themselves will be locked out.

Of course the mall has struggled in recent years, as have all malls everywhere. It's hard to imagine this chunk of real estate sitting idle for long, but sadly that's an all-too-common story as well in these strange times.

For those of us whose formative social experiences took place at the mall, we'll always have our memories.

Toys 'R' Us shutters Metrocenter store, opens new combo location with Babies 'R' Us

Toys "R" Us is closing its store on Dunlap Avenue near Phoenix's Metrocenter Mall and opening a new location in north Phoenix that puts the toy store under one roof with the company's Babies "R" Us brand.

The new store at 245 E. Bell Road will have its grand opening Sept. 9-11 with a sale, giveaways, activities for kids and visits from popular children's characters.

Toys "R" Us says it has converted more than 100 U.S. stores to this new "side-by-side" format since 2006, opening the first brand-new combo locations in 2010.

The closure of the Dunlap store is just another gaping hole in and around Metrocenter: Atomic Comics on the outer loop closed last week, and the mall itself has one and a half empty anchor spots in addition to numerous external vacancies like the former Best Buy location.

Metrocenter gives old pet shop to animal control

More wild times ahead for Metrocenter. From Maricopa County Animal Care & Control:

    How much is that doggy in the window are not words normally associated with Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC). All that is about to change as MCACC enters into a partnership with Metrocenter Mall and PetSmart Charities®.

    Metrocenter Mall has offered a former pet store space to MCACC free of charge. Christine Cunningham, Metrocenter Mall spokesperson says they are excited for MCACC to move in. “We thought it made sense to showcase animals that need a second chance at a forever home,” she said. “Maricopa County Animal Care and Control has thousands of homeless dogs and cats that need homes. Asking them just made sense to us.”

    When PetSmart Charities heard about the mall store, they offered their support. “Our experience with our in-store adoption centers proves that satellite locations provide great visibility for shelter pets and expose them to new potential adopters,” said Susana Della Maddalena, Vice President and Executive Director, PetSmart Charities, Inc. “The mall location will provide Maricopa County Animal Care and Control the opportunity to showcase their adoptable pets to mall visitors and save more lives through adoption,” she added.

    Under One Woof will be staffed with current MCACC employees and volunteers. They will be caring for 20-50 dogs and cats who will stay at the satellite location. Dog owners will also be able to purchase dog licenses there. Staff will not be able to accept the intake of animals nor will they be able to offer rabies vaccinations. The store will be open Monday – Saturday from 10am–9pm, and Sunday from 11am–6pm.

    Andy Kunasek, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, thinks the partnership is a great opportunity. “Finding new ways to showcase our animals in need is always a good idea,” he said. “We are hopeful that many more animals will find their forever homes due to this partnership.”

    About the Facility:

    -          5,435 square feet of space

    -          30 total kennels – 4 large, 26 average (see below)

    -        46 (w) x 28 (d) x 36 (h)

    -          6 retail displays 142(w)x22(d)x72(h)

    -          Isolation area

    -          Play area for dogs

    -          3 Meet-and-greet areas for potential adopters to socialize with dogs and cats

    The Grand Opening Celebration is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 26th at Under One Woof – 9617 N. Metro Parkway, Suite 1116, in Phoenix. The event is free and everyone is welcome to come. Special adoption fees will be offered all weekend. Each newly adopted dog and cat will go home with goodie bags to help get them settled in their new homes. MCACC hopes to find 20 animals a new home each week, so come on out and find a new furry friend.

Circle K coming to abandoned Northern Ave. golf course

For a while now the El Caro golf course along the north side of Northern Avenue, just west of 19th Avenue, has been fenced off. (For far longer than that it has been abandoned and full of dead vegetation and who-knows-what-else.)

Now the first hint of what is to come next has popped up: Several Circle K signs. Whether it will be just a convenience store amid other development, or a larger headquarters, remains to be seen.

I'll try to find out more and let you know soon.

Join The Metro Community

There's a Facebook fan page for residents of the Metrocenter area, called The Metro Community.

It's not affiliated with this blog, but it shares many of the same aims, so I've embedded a fan widget in the sidebar. Check them out and add your voice to the community!

The Lights on Townley

On Christmas Eve my family decided to enjoy some cookies, cocoa and the yuletide glory that is The Lights on Townley, a 15,000+ Christmas light spectacle that is synchronized to music on 96.1 FM. It was more than part of our annual ritual of light-watching -- it was a return to the neighborhood we left over the summer when we walked away from our home on Townley that was going into foreclosure.

The neighborhood is a pretty good one, but it's been socked by the housing and financial crises about as hard as any in the Valley or even the nation. We haven't moved far, but it was nice to see there are still good people living there.

If you haven't seen the Lights on Townley, you have until the Sunday night after New Year's -- Jan. 2. Enjoy!

In-N-Out Burger going up at former site of Islands

We've become so accustomed to business leaving the Metrocenter area that when one moves in, it's certainly notable. That's the case with In-N-Out Burger, which is building a new restaurant on the site of the former Islands Burger on the north side of Peoria Avenue just west of Interstate 17.

It will certainly be a welcome addition to the area, and hopefully the popular chain is in for the long haul. The location seems to be less than ideal; wouldn't the mall circle have been more advantageous all around? It's not like there are no vacancies ... Or would that have been overkill with the Culver's that replaced Whataburger about a year ago?

But In-N-Out has made its choice, so get ready by reading up on the chain's popular secret menu.

UPDATE: The Phoenix Journal's Lynn Ducey says the restaurant will open in late January or Februrary.