This article originally published in the Arizona Republic.
A big-box shopping center near the Phoenix-Scottsdale border could be converted to 350 luxury apartment units and smaller-scale retail, according to plans from the center’s owner.
The conversion of a portion of Scottsdale Towne Square is a sign of the times, project leaders said, as owners of big-box retail buildings grapple with how to keep properties relevant as shopping habits and neighborhood desires change.
“We are taking a project that may have been perfect two decades ago or three decades ago, in terms of shape, size and content, and making it something that works today,” said Jason Morris, partner at Withey Morris and zoning attorney for the case.
Morris’ client, Woodbury Corp., has owned Scottsdale Towne Square since 2017, according to real estate database Vizzda. The property, on the northwest corner of Scottsdale and Thunderbird roads, was built in 1986 as a grocery-anchored shopping center.