A big investor plans to spend $18 million redeveloping a Phoenix shopping center, where storm damage caused a Safeway to burn down last summer. 

Scottsdale-based SimonCRE paid $3.2 million Monday for the 15-acre Park Northern shopping center on the northeast corner of 35th and Northern avenues.

VASA fitness center planned

It plans to bring new tenants to the north central property, including a 60,000-square-foot VASA fitness center to the former grocery-store spot. The store has been empty since the fire.  

Safeway decided last summer not to reopen after the three-alarm fire. The grocery store-chain had operated a store there for more than 30 years.

Many neighbors were upset by Safeway's decision not to reopen.

“We’re grateful for the opportunity to rebuild a neighborhood center that needed a restart,” said Joshua Simon, CEO of SimonCRE.

The first phase of the shopping center’s redevelopment is expected to be done in early 2021.

Featured in azcentral (Original article)