PHOENIX—The Metrocenter Mall Food Court has reached 100% occupancy. And that's great news for the mall that struggled mightily through the past two decades.

Metrocenter was built in 1973, totals 1.3 million square feet and at the time it was newly built, was one of the five largest malls in the country—a destination for families across the Valley. Located at I-17 and Peoria, with an ice rink, theaters, department stores, retail shops, restaurants and its popular Castles 'N' Coasters amusement park feature, the mall was unlike any other in Phoenix.

But in time the place declined. New malls were built across the Valley and Metrocenter was left to languish. It became a teen hangout and earned a reputation as a crime center. People stayed away. And so did retailers and restaurants.