A great idea that was built at the wrong place at the wrong time. CityNorth was supposed to be that urban environment that Phoenix is desperately lacking. An all-in-one place where you can live, eat and shop. Big things were intended for this spot of land near the Loop 101 and 56th street. That was announced and construction began back in 2007. We all know what happened next.
Thanks to the bust. No one was interested in living in overpriced luxury condos. Major retailers weren't interested in opening more locations only minutes away from their established stores, and just a few [mostly] high end restaurants and bars decided to stick around with a couple of speciality shops. While the places on High Street are quite nice, there's very little reason for people who don't live in the area, or who aren't staying at the JW Marriott across the street, to check it out.
There's also no fountain or lawn area for people to just relax and chill like at other outdoor malls. The architecture is not esthetically pleasing. There's no upbeat atmosphere in the tiny strip of buildings surrounded by a big parking lot that was intended to be more. There also isn't any type of a market (with the exception of the monthly farmer's market), meaning if you did live in CityNorth, you still need to go down the block to Desert Ridge for a bulk of your shopping. Kind of defeats the purpose.
Unfortunately, CityNorth will just have to continue to limp on until things finally turn around.