Last call: Most stores shuttered at Paradise Valley Mall ahead of closure, redevelopment
PHOENIX - The end of the road is fast approaching for one mall in the Phoenix area.
At Paradise Valley Mall, the majority of the stores are already closed. Shoppers and store owners say they are heartbroken.
Paradise Valley Mall interior (file)
"I feel very sad. I keep saying good luck to all the different people," said Jane Ash, who has walked or shopped at the mall every day for years.
Ash has slowly witnessed the mall's closing up.
"It is eerie. I feel very badly," said Ash.
The mall is filled with empty stores and windows, and few shoppers now remain. This comes after the Phoenix City Council voted in February to permanently close the mall, paving way for a redevelopment project that will transform the area into an outdoor development, with shops, offices and apartments.
Related: Phoenix City Council approves rezoning request, paving way for Paradise Valley Mall redevelopment
A few shops are still open at the mall for another few days.
"Feeling a little sad, honestly," said Puppies 'N Love President Frank Mineo.
Puppies ‘N Love is one of the stores that are still open, for now. They have been in the mall for 29 years as a family-owned business. The owner says there will be no layoffs since they have other locations. However, it is still a hard pill to swallow for them, knowing this is the sign of the times, and that they have to leave their long time home.
"We have a lot of regular customers, and it is sad to say goodbye after all these years," said Mineo.
The store still has puppies for sale, and they will close on Thursday, April 1.
Meanwhile, FOX 10 has learned that a department store at the mall, Dillard's, will remain open until some time in June.
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