It has been the site of countless shopping trips, first dates, movies and even a place to learn to ice skate in the desert. For thousands of West Valley teenagers, Metrocenter Mall was the spot in Phoenix to gather and socialize.
The mall opened in October 1973 and shuts its doors for good on June 30, a victim of reduced business exacerbated by the new coronavirus pandemic.
Many of those former teens will gather Tuesday night for one last cruise around the Metrocenter parking lot near Peoria Avenue and Interstate 17. From 6 p.m. until about 9:45, they plan to see old friends, reminisce and say goodbye to a place that meant so much to them.
Tracy Smith grew up near 23rd Avenue and Cactus Road, not too far from the mall. She has memories of shopping trips – she bought her first pair of high heels there – movies and cruising the parking lot on weekend evenings.
“Growing up around here there wasn’t a lot to do,” Smith said Monday. “But we would go to Metrocenter and take a lap around the parking lot. We knew it was the place to meet.”
More: Metrocenter Mall will close after 46 years due to fewer shoppers, COVID-19
When she heard the mall was closing she put a post on Facebook suggesting that she and her friends cruise the lot on June 30. One friend suggested she make a public group to spread the word among others who had similar memories of Metrocenter.
“Within an hour it grew to about 1,000 (people),” Smith said. “It went like wildfire. It floored me how many people responded.”
The group has continued to grow.
People have posted in hopes of connecting with old friends and classmates. Some have shared photos of the mall back in the day or photos of the cars they drove at that time.
What to expect on Metrocenter's closing night
Many of the group's members gathered at the mall for a cruise-in on Saturday night. Most seem to be planning to be there on Metrocenter’s last night.
The June 30 cruise-in originally was planned for later in the evening, but Smith said the mall management asked if the gathering could begin at 6 p.m. so the cruisers could be included in a final aerial photograph of Metrocenter.
Toward the end of the evening, the cruisers plan to pull over to give police a chance to take a lap around the parking lot.
The mall is closing because shoppers hadn’t been turning out like they used to, the recent shutdowns due to the COVID-19 outbreak sealed its fate. It’s uncertain what will happen to the property after June 30.
Metrocenter will always hold a place in the hearts of Valley residents like Smith who came of age in the 1970s, '80s or 90s.
“We haven’t (cruised) in years, life changes, you move on,” Smith said. “But with Metrocenter closing we had to go one last time.”
Reach the reporter at weldon.johnson@arizonarepublic.com. Or follow him on Twitter at @weldonjohnson.
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Bye, Metrocenter Mall: Here's how fans can say farewell with one last cruise-in tonight - AZCentral
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