No offense to locals, because Glendale "Glitters" with "Chocolate" downtown, but this mall hastily developed around the silver Jiffy Popcorn pan  that is University of Phoenix Stadium (misnomer, it is for the professional football team, the Arizona Cardinals, named after the omnipresent UofP distance learning and professional college, ala National University) and the Jobing.com (local based employment dot com) Arena (home to the NHL Coyotes) is really just a North Snobsdale (aka Scottsdale, Snotsdale, She'sGotTail) Kierland Commons Wannabee Mall!

It is 4 stories high, shaped like a football and stadium, with huge billboards facing into the 2 water fountains, its only redeeming value.

It is populated with typical Scottsdale type restaurants....Big on decor, small on taste, with chain restaurants peddling Chef/Designer highly stacked fusion flavors masking average casual food for a larger tab per serving. 

Even the hords of young, large bossomed hostesses, bartenders and waitresses in black t-shirts are the attractions that were first ubiquitous in Scottsdale, then downtown Phoenix around the Diamondback Stadium, has now moved to the west side of the Valley! Margarittaville, Johnny Rockets, Fox Sports Grill, Kabuki Japanese...all formula chains for the average masses who think they are getting something special, but aren't. 

Meanwhile, the Superbowl early this year, the reason why this complex was completed (and for the new football Stadium) has come and gone, the housing boom has collapsed, and the westside house prices have dropped 30 - 40%. Consequently, within a couple of blocks, the luxury condos are being auctioned off, the Westgate Offices atop the stores are empty, and so are the new office buildings. 
The anchor Hotel the Renassaince, also a Westin of Kierland  poser, is nicely lit but largely empty. There is a conference center attached, so it might get some occupancy other than Football season weekends, but the Homewood Suites nearby has got to be a summer bargain hotel.

This is classic Valley gaudiness at its worst. And it is set conveniently off the Loop 101 at Glendale Road near the Agua Fria riverbed, but otherwise it is a vast open field of former farm land. Still, it is the only decent mall within miles, so it is a beacon for the young and bored westsiders looking for something besides their quiet bedroom communities of strip malls and convenience stores.