Fiesta Mall officials will raze the old Macy’s department store by the end of the year.
Mike Jorgenson, the mall’s property manager, said demolition should occur around November. Officials hope to complete reconstruction and find new tenants by the 2008 holiday season.
“It will be great. I can’t wait until we can announce the names,” Jorgenson said.
The space was left vacant after Federated Department Stores acquired May Department Stores in 2005. Macy’s moved into the former Robinson-May store, leaving the old Macy’s site vacant.
The structure will be replaced by a new building that will have two 50,000 square-foot tenants — one upstairs and another downstairs, Jorgenson said.
“Both would bring comparable traffic (as an anchor),” he added.
Some of the possible uses could be an electronics, sporting goods, book or linen store, he said.
“Those are the four main uses we’re looking at,” he said.
Westcor, which owns the 1.4 million square-foot center at U.S. 60 and Alma School Road in Mesa, is also planning new retail off of Alma School Road. Those additions could include a bank or restaurant, which would boost nighttime customer traffic.
The Mesa mall is undergoing a major, multi-phase renovation, which started in the spring. Changes include interior renovations like new flooring and lighting, tenant changes and renovations, as well as planned changes to the food court area.
The developer wants better dining options as well as a children’s carousel and an adjacent, outdoor plaza with play area that will connect the food area with the tenants replacing Macy’s.
Catherine Ji, Mesa’s town center development specialist, said the new tenants will be a better use than another department store, which typically offer the same kinds of merchandise.
“It will bring something different to the mall,” she said.
She said the mall serves as a focal point for people entering Mesa and is an important economic driver for that area and the changes are vital to maintaining it.
