New tenants bring life back to Chandler shopping center

CHANDLER, AZ — Signs and shops are popping up near Alma School and Warner in Chandler, a space neighbors have been wondering about for years.

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Chase’s Diner, a family-owned business, has called this intersection home for nearly 30 years. Through the diner’s windows, owner Skip Chase has watched the shopping center across the street change, and sit vacant, for years.

“I can’t tell you how many years people have been saying, do you know what’s going across the street, do you know what’s going across the street, it’s funny even when they put the signs up people are still saying, what’s going across the street,” Chase said.

“I am thinking it is going to help our business here, you can’t put anything like that in, with the investment they made across the street, and not benefit from it,” Chase said.

Arizona Partners took ownership of the center in 2024 and re-branded it Desert Palms. It was mostly vacant at the time and is now 75% leased.

Micah Miranda, the city’s economic development director, calls anchor tenants Ross, Burlington and PetSmart destination drivers.

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“People from across the community will come and travel there, they will support that adjacent businesses, so it really brings dollars into that area and helps support the overall health of that intersection,” Miranda said.

PetSmart is already open. Burlington and Ross are expected to follow in October. A local restaurant and a salon are also moving in, with 12 spots still to fill.

Beyond the existing spaces, developers are eyeing empty lots on site, likely for restaurants. That portion is still being planned, and a neighborhood meeting to discuss it is set for September 1.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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