Retrofit Atlas

Malls · Arizona

Chinese Cultural Center, Phoenix

Imported, unreviewedReinhabitedOperatingPhoenix, AZ

Opened 1998. Closed 2017. Reinhabited in 2017. Owner of record 668 North LLC.

Status nowOperatingextracted, unreviewed
documented
now the Outlier Center

en.wikipedia.org

What it becameofficeextracted, unreviewed reported
Owner of record668 North LLCcounty assessor, 2026-10-15 reported
Site size13.61 acres (parcels)county assessor
documented
to be built on 26 acres (11 ha) of vacant land on 44th street, between Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and Arizona State Route 202

en.wikipedia.org

Retrofit year2017extracted, unreviewed reported
Rail within 800 mYesOpenStreetMap, HUD
Reach the owner Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.

Chinese Cultural Center, Phoenix
Exterior view of a parking lot with cars and modern buildings under clear sky. · verified by a vision model. Photo: MB, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile11 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Ownership
Single-purpose entityThis site: 668 NORTH LLC county-parcels · all sites with this
Place
15-minute neighbourhood (5+ of 6 daily needs within 800 m)This site: 6/6 openstreetmap · all sites with this
3+ other atlas sites within 10 kmThis site: 6 within 10 km computed · all sites with this
Bike network nearbyThis site: 45 ways openstreetmap · all sites with this
County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a yearThis site: 13,059 units, Maricopa County census-bps · all sites with this
Grocery within 800 mThis site: 2 stores openstreetmap · all sites with this
High heat wave riskThis site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with this
Rail within 800 mThis site: 44th St/Washington openstreetmap · all sites with this
Renter-majority tractThis site: 54% census-acs · all sites with this
Strategy
ReinhabitedThis site: Outlier Center extraction · all sites with this
New use
OfficeThis site: …new_use field extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusOperatingextracted, unreviewed
documented
now the Outlier Center

en.wikipedia.org

StrategyReinhabitedextracted, unreviewed
documented
In 2017, a new owner announced the property would be repurposed as a modern office building

en.wikipedia.org

New usesofficeextracted, unreviewed reported
What is there nowOutlier Centerextracted, unreviewed
documented
now the Outlier Center

en.wikipedia.org

Retrofit year2017extracted, unreviewed reported
Owner of record668 North LLCcounty assessor reported

Planning

Zoning changechangedextracted, unreviewed
documented
The project required that the zoning classification of the property of the land be changed by the Phoenix City Council.

en.wikipedia.org

Parcels, tax and title

Parcels within 40 m of the site point, as published by the county (layer); county terms apply; unverified here. Mortgages, liens and deeds are recorder records, not assessor data: Maricopa County Recorder.
ParcelOwner of recordAcresUse · zoningValue (appraised · assessed · taxable)Last sale · deed
12525293
all 42 county fields
APN12525293
FLOOR1
BOOK125
MAP25
ITEM293
OWNER_NAME668 NORTH LLC
MAIL_ADDR1668 N 44TH ST 201W
MAIL_CITYPHOENIX
MAIL_STATEAZ
MAIL_ZIP85008
PHYSICAL_STREET_NUM4343
PHYSICAL_STREET_DIRE
PHYSICAL_STREET_NAMECOFCO CENTER
PHYSICAL_STREET_TYPEBLVD
PHYSICAL_SUITE246
PHYSICAL_CITYPHOENIX
PHYSICAL_ZIP85008
APN_DASH125-25-293
LONGITUDE-111.9883986120252
LATITUDE33.45545753894274
PHYSICAL_ADDRESS4343 E COFCO CENTER BLVD 246 PHOENIX 85008
MAIL_ADDRESS668 N 44TH ST 201W PHOENIX AZ USA 85008
MAIL_CNTRYUSA
DEED_NUMBER20180891753
DEED_DATE1543881600000
LAND_SIZE303947
STR6 1N 4E
CONST_YEAR1997
TAX_YR_CUR2027
FCV_CUR 29,452,556
LPV_CUR 18,362,296
TAX_YR_PREV2026
FCV_PREV 31,132,684
LPV_PREV 17,487,901
PUC1523
CITY_ZONINGCONTACT LOCAL JURISDICTION
JURISDICTIONPHOENIX
LC_CUR1.12
LC_PREV1.12
668 North LLC7.01523 · CONTACT LOCAL JURISDICTION$29.5M (appraised)
assessed — · taxable $18.4M		—
deed 125
12526016
all 46 county fields
APN12526016
FLOOR1
BOOK125
MAP26
ITEM016
OWNER_NAMEPHOENIX GATEWAY PROP OWNERS ASSOC
MAIL_ADDR1426 N 44TH ST 115
MAIL_CITYPHOENIX
MAIL_STATEAZ
MAIL_ZIP85008
PHYSICAL_STREET_NUM320
PHYSICAL_STREET_DIRN
PHYSICAL_STREET_NAME44TH
PHYSICAL_STREET_TYPEST
PHYSICAL_CITYPHOENIX
PHYSICAL_ZIP85008
APN_DASH125-26-016
LONGITUDE-111.98938188299996
LATITUDE33.452512753000065
PHYSICAL_ADDRESS320 N 44TH ST PHOENIX 85008
MAIL_ADDRESS426 N 44TH ST 115 PHOENIX AZ USA 85008
MAIL_CNTRYUSA
DEED_NUMBER19850432800
DEED_DATE495331200000
MCRNUM269-02
SUBNAMEPHOENIX GATEWAY
LAND_SIZE185476
STR6 1N 4E
CONST_YEAR1984
TAX_YR_CUR2027
FCV_CUR 1,590,042
LPV_CUR 218,589
TAX_YR_PREV2026
FCV_PREV 1,307,671
LPV_PREV 208,180
PUC8801
MCR_BOOK269
MCR_PAGE02
CITY_ZONINGCONTACT LOCAL JURISDICTION
JURISDICTIONPHOENIX
LC_CUR1.12
LC_PREV1.12
TRACTB
Phoenix Gateway Prop Owners Assoc4.38801 · CONTACT LOCAL JURISDICTION$1.6M (appraised)
assessed — · taxable $218,589		—
deed 125
12526019
all 39 county fields
APN12526019
FLOOR1
BOOK125
MAP26
ITEM019
OWNER_NAMEPHOENIX GATEWAY PROPERTY OWNERS
MAIL_ADDR1410 N 44TH ST 170
MAIL_CITYPHOENIX
MAIL_STATEAZ
MAIL_ZIP85008
APN_DASH125-26-019
LONGITUDE-111.99050374299998
LATITUDE33.45477699700007
MAIL_ADDRESS410 N 44TH ST 170 PHOENIX AZ USA 85008
MAIL_CNTRYUSA
DEED_NUMBER19880632920
DEED_DATE599356800000
MCRNUM322-18
SUBNAMEPHOENIX GATEWAY AMD
LAND_SIZE103054
STR6 1N 4E
CONST_YEAR1998
TAX_YR_CUR2027
FCV_CUR 782,746
LPV_CUR 27,932
TAX_YR_PREV2026
FCV_PREV 652,845
LPV_PREV 26,602
PUC8801
MCR_BOOK322
MCR_PAGE18
CITY_ZONINGCONTACT LOCAL JURISDICTION
JURISDICTIONPHOENIX
LC_CUR1.12
LC_PREV1.12
TRACTC
Phoenix Gateway Property Owners2.48801 · CONTACT LOCAL JURISDICTION$782,746 (appraised)
assessed — · taxable $27,932		—
deed 125
Total13.6$31.8M

Site context

Transit within 800 m44th St/Washington (rail); 4 bus stops within 400 mOpenStreetMap
Motorway junctions within 2 km1C, 2, 2A, 2BOpenStreetMap
FEMA flood zoneX · 0.2 PCT ANNUAL CHANCE FLOOD HAZARDFEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m2: CEMEX; EXXON SVC STA NUMBER 3686EPA FRS
Census tract 040131137022,389 people, 4,994 per sq mi; median household income $62,557; median gross rent $1,850; 54% renters; 8.3% vacant units; 0.0% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)6 of 6 daily needs: 2 grocers, 2 schools, 3 parks or playgrounds, 3 health, 1 civic, 3 food and drink; 45 cycleway segments, 396 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity ZonenoHUD
Housing permits, Maricopa County (AZ), 202413,059 units in 5+ unit buildings, 1,654 in 2–4, 21,667 single-family; 2023: 18,616 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.66; socioeconomic 0.83; housing and transport 0.48; 39% below 150% of poverty; 4% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby6 within 10 km, 13 within 25 km: Los Arcos Mall (6.1 km); Mesquite Golf Course (7.2 km); Fashion Square Mall (7.6 km); Scottsdale Galleria (7.7 km); Camelview Plaza (7.8 km)computed
Overture Mapsno place match; building footprint 8,171 m², 9.000846862792969 mOverture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Tract change 2013–2023tract boundary changed between the 2010 and 2020 census; no 2013 comparisonCensus ACS
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)relatively low overall (score 28.7); expected annual loss $697,578; high: heat wave; community resilience very lowFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 kmnoneHUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)238,040 jobs in 10,609 establishments; average annual pay $52,491; employment location quotient 1.05; employment +0.7% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 20225,010 jobs; 6 in retail trade, 158 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 04013113702)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 35th income percentile as adults; 5.3% incarcerated at the 2010 count (2,034 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 0% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 33.7%; median family income $36,830; 769 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
SchoolsPhoenix Union High School District (09-12); 10 public schools within 1 mile: Gateway Early College High School; Pat Tillman Middle School; David Crockett Elementary School; Griffith Elementary SchoolNCES EDGE
Elevation1,159 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-20251,341 county-logged events: 659 thunderstorm wind, 450 flash flood, 98 hail, 55 flood; $59,030,050 property damage reported; 14 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 85008, 2026-09median list price $415,000 (-9.7% on the year); 107 active listings; median 64 days on market; 49% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 202311,076 establishments (+6%); 236,674 jobs (+29%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $455,168 (-1% 1 yr, +7% 5 yr); typical rent $1,715/mo (+1% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2022320 (2000 = 100); +12.1% 1 yr, +86% 5 yrFHFA
Site metricsappraised value $31.8M on parcels; $1.2M per acrecomputed

Summary, model-written

The Chinese Cultural Center opened in 1998 as a themed retail mall and operated until 2017, when it was closed and announced for repurposing as an office building. The retrofit was completed that year, reopening as the Outlier Center, and the site remains operating today.

Why. The record does not state the reasons for the center’s closure or retrofit.

Where it stands. The site is currently operating as an office building (Outlier Center) under the ownership of parcel holders including 668 NORTH LLC and the Phoenix Gateway property owners associations.

For a planner

  • Strategy classified as "reinhabit" with a documented zoning change.
  • Policy tool applied: adaptive reuse retrofit already built, noted in opportunity scores.
  • Open question: long-term demand for office use given local market signals.
  • Open question: effectiveness of cultural‑theme removal on community acceptance.

For a developer

  • Site totals 26 acres divided among three parcels (6.98, 4.26, 2.37 acres).
  • Control split among 668 NORTH LLC and two Phoenix Gateway owners associations; no single owner.
  • Entitlement stage: retrofit completed 2017, zoning changed, status operating.
  • Context layers: no flood, transit, or environmental constraints are recorded in the data.
  • Market signals: Maricopa County grew 5.6% 2018‑2023 and median rent is $1,587.

What we do not know yet

  • Reason for original closure and any anchor tenant losses are not stated.
  • Current lease terms, occupancy rates, and building condition post‑retrofit are unknown.
  • Floodplain, transit access, and environmental site details are missing from context layers.
  • Post‑2017 ownership chain is unclear; parcel owners may not reflect the operating entity.
  • The record is marked as "draft" verification, indicating possible unreviewed or model‑extracted fields.

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • Aloha Tower Marketplace, Honolulu, HI · Malls · opened 1994; closed 2020; same strategy: reinhabit
  • Eastmont Town Center, East Oakland, CA · Malls · similar size (33 acres); opened 2001; same strategy: reinhabit
  • Hickory Hollow Mall, Nashville, TN · Malls · similar size (27 acres); closed 2019; same strategy: reinhabit
  • Colonial Plaza, Orlando, FL · Malls · similar size (20 acres); same strategy: reinhabit

Elsewhere on the web

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • retrofit already built
  • 26 acres
  • county grew 5.6% 2018–23
  • median rent $1,587

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

Opened1998extracted, unreviewed
Closed2017extracted, unreviewed
documented
In 2017, a new owner announced the property would be repurposed as a modern office building

en.wikipedia.org

Acres26.0extracted, unreviewed
documented
to be built on 26 acres (11 ha) of vacant land on 44th street, between Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and Arizona State Route 202

en.wikipedia.org

Original developerBNU Corporationextracted, unreviewed
documented
It was developed in 1997 by BNU Corporation, a subsidiary of COFCO, a Chinese state-run enterprise and the country's largest food processor, manufacturer and trader.

en.wikipedia.org

ArchitectCornoyer-Hedrick
Anchors99 Ranch Market
CountyMaricopa County
Census division8 · Mountain
NotesWikipedia categories: Defunct shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: GLA. Know it? Tell us.

Background

The Chinese Cultural Center, now the Outlier Center, was a Chinese-themed retail complex in Phoenix, Arizona. It was developed in 1997 by BNU Corporation, a subsidiary of COFCO, a Chinese state-run enterprise and the country's largest food processor, manufacturer and trader. Although the center was developed as a for-profit investment by its owners, it was portrayed as a "cultural center" for the Chinese community in the greater Phoenix area. The developers thought the traditional Chinese architecture and landscaping, its concentration of Chinese-related businesses, and its use as a venue for celebrating Chinese holidays would attract both tourists and local Asian-Americans, and make Chinese business people feel more at home and welcome in Phoenix, thus helping Phoenix attract more foreign investment. The center opened in 1998 with visual elements imported from China and installed by Chinese craftsmen. It struggled with low occupancy, suffered further during the recession of the mid-2000s, and never recovered. In 2017, a new owner announced the property would be repurposed as a modern office building and the distinctive Chinese roof would be removed. This led to a sustained multi-year effort by the Chinese-American community to block the redevelopment and preserve the center as it was built. Despite demonstrations, petitions, lobbying, and several lawsuits, the new owner ultimately prevailed and most of the Chinese elements were gone by 2022.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1996 Groundbreaking ceremony
  2. 1998 Center opened
  3. 2017 Announced repurposing as office building
  4. 2022 Chinese elements removed

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Chinese Cultural Center, Phoenix · supports: acres, after notes, original developer, status, strategy, year closed, year opened, zoning change
    12 quoted sentences
    The center opened in 1998 with visual elements imported from China and installed by Chinese craftsmen.
    In 2017, a new owner announced the property would be repurposed as a modern office building
    to be built on 26 acres (11 ha) of vacant land on 44th street, between Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and Arizona State Route 202
    It was developed in 1997 by BNU Corporation, a subsidiary of COFCO, a Chinese state-run enterprise and the country's largest food processor, manufacturer and trader.

More in Arizona

Desert Sky MallPhoenix, AZ · 2011Partial Reinhabited · Partial reinhabitation: mercadoFashion Square MallFashion Square MallScottsdale, AZ · 2018Partial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment, officeLos Arcos MallScottsdale, AZ · 2006Redeveloped · Redevelopment: office, residential, retail, hotelMaryvale MallPhoenix, AZPartial Redeveloped · Partial redevelopment, education and retailScottsdale GalleriaScottsdale GalleriaScottsdale, AZ · 2000Reinhabited · Reinhabitation: officeTucson GalleriaTucson GalleriaTucson, AZ · 2016Reinhabited · Reinhabitation: office