Metrocenter

If you came of age in Phoenix between the early 70s and the early 2000s, you probably have a Metrocenter Mall story. By the time I arrived here in 2013, it was just a shell of its former self, mostly empty storefronts and a sea of open parking spots around it. I heard stories about the ice skating rink, the cars cruising the circular drive, and of course, the filming of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

I first started photographing the mall for my Discarded project when I was documenting desolate buildings in the Metro Phoenix area. The Metrocenter area had a growing number of stores and restaurants that had closed and were left vacant and in various states of disrepair. It only made sense to continue to document the area as it was going to be demolished and rebirthed as The Metropolitan, a pretentious name for an area that is largely depressed and rejected.

For a few months, I went weekly, chronicling the destruction as they tore out anything recyclable or hazardous before they started tearing down the buildings themselves. A steadfast tree has been my orientation point near the west entrance, ever present in my photos, its fate uncertain in the demolition.

I still stop by occasionally, checking for progress, evading the increasingly strict security guards.  The nostalgic pull, the bittersweet feeling of loss mixed with hope means I will continue to document the attempted rebirth of the site with the coming Metropolitan that is scheduled to be built to replace what was once one of the largest shopping centers in America.