Uptown Plaza
Stats
What: Boutique Hotel
Where: Phoenix, AZ
When: Built in 1958 & 1960
Revitalized 2017-2020
More: ±2 acres; ±45,000 Sq.-Ft.
The Project
Vintage Partners concepted and completed an innovative redevelopment of Phoenix’s first-ever suburban shopping center, Uptown Plaza, restoring the striking mid-century modern design, and revitalizing the tenant lineup with a mix of national, regional and local stores to once again make this neighborhood center a point of pride.
The Problem
Despite its premium location, the shopping center was only partly occupied, mostly because this historic mid-century modern gem was buried under decades of stucco and outdated ‘improvements,’ and was overdue for both a mechanical and an aesthetic overhaul.
The Solution
This 20-month project revealed the original mid-century modern structure, peeling back the layers and scouring the archives to restore as much as possible — like blueprint-spec replicas of the original tower signs — to reveal a retro-modern version of this classic gem.
Throughout the delicate refresh process, the design team uncovered and preserved 50’s-era details such as original hand-painted signage on the red brick storefronts, and restored the stylized metal posts supporting the extensive shade overhangs—which had been entombed in layers of stick and stucco.
The preservation effort didn’t go unnoticed by some of the best operators in the country. New tenants at Uptown Plaza include the area’s first new major retailer in decades, West Elm, plus restaurants such as NYC’s Shake Shack and the first Lou Malnati’s Pizza outside of Chicago.
