The Valley’s original neighborhood shopping center, Uptown Plaza established in 1955 is back and better than ever following an impressive three-year restoration project that has once again made this mid-century modern gem the crown jewel of central Phoenix. Located at Central Avenue and Camelback Road, Uptown Plaza has an exciting new lineup of shops and restaurants such as Shake Shack, Elly’s Brunch & Cafe, Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria, locally-owned favorites such as Flower Child, Huss Brewing Co. Taproom, Muse Apparel and Zookz Sandwiches.
Originally built in 1955 by iconic local developer Del Webb, Uptown Plaza is the Valley’s first-ever suburban shopping center.
“As a Phoenix native who grew up shopping at Uptown Plaza, our goal has always been to restore this neighborhood hub back to Del Webb’s original vision in the 1950s,” says Walter Crutchfield, a principal at Vintage Partners, the Arizona-based commercial real estate development and investment company behind Uptown Plaza’s revival. “Aside from scraping away decades of stucco and other ‘improvements’ to reveal the original brick-lined midcentury look, we consulted with nearby neighborhood organizations and people such as Kimber Lanning of Local First Arizona to ensure we also restored Uptown Plaza’s unique mix of local, regional and national tenants.
