A Walmart Supercenter that has been in the works at Metrocenter Mall since 2014 is now open for business in northwest Phoenix.

The new 148,000-square-foot store, which opened Wednesday morning, employs up to 300 full- and part-time associates and represents an effort by Phoenix to turn Metrocenter Mall into an urban center.

Online grocery ordering will be coming to the new location soon, which will allow shoppers to order Walmart groceries online and pick them up in their car at the store.

“The opening of the new Walmart Supercenter has not only created hundreds of jobs for Arizonans, but is also a part of a larger effort to revitalize this landmark shopping complex,” said Jennifer Mellor, vice president of economic development for the Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, in a statement.

“This is exciting because it will be a major piece of the mall’s transformation into a multi-use, urban center.”

The Walmart, which is located at 9600 N. Metro Parkway West, is open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily.

The project represents the largest investment at the shopping complex in decades, with community officials hoping it will help revitalize the area. The store was built on the site of a former Broadway Southwest department store that was demolished and has been vacant since 2006.

Metrocenter opened in 1973 as the largest shopping center in Arizona. In 1989, the mall was featured in the Joan of Arc scenes in “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure.” It’s now owned by Carlyle Development Group.

The Phoenix City Council in June approved zoning changes in and around Metrocenter that allow for new uses, including offices, senior housing, multifamily housing and health-care facilities.

A Walmart ice cream truck will be parked outside the store Thursday through Tuesday. On Friday, the store will host a fall festival from 5-9 p.m. with activities including music, Halloween-themed rock painting and other games, food samples and refreshments, hay bales, pumpkins and more. Fans of the Disney Junior program “PJ Masks” can see the superhero characters Saturday when they make an in-store appearance.

A “Big Family Welcome” celebration for the community is planned from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturda and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Activities for the entire family, along with free food samples and giveaways, will be available while supplies last.

“Opening the doors to this Walmart Supercenter and seeing the aisles fill with shoppers is so gratifying for all of us who’ve worked to bring this day to fruition,” Paula Ginnett, a Walmart vice president and regional general manager in Arizona, said in a statement. “We’re excited to be able to better serve our customers in northwest Phoenix, and to be part of the revitalization of the Phoenix landmark that is Metrocenter Mall.”

“Today’s grand opening is the first physical step in our strategic redevelopment of Metrocenter,” said Warren Fink, chief operating officer for Carlyle Development Group, in a statement. “With their opening, Walmart adds momentum to that effort and becomes part of our larger vision, which is to transform this site into a dynamic live-work-play environment, with multiple uses and a quickly-evolving mass transit system that will directly link this location to the entire metro area.”

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