Mayor Kevin Johnson said Tuesday he will start searching for buyers for Downtown Plaza within weeks, after Westfield Group announced its willingness to sell the struggling plaza.
After the holidays, Johnson will start talking to "big developers" and investment groups who understand the plaza's role in revitalizing downtown. Potential buyers could include people interested in developing a new downtown arena at that site, he said.
"Westfield has agreed to step aside, and, if necessary, sell its interests in Downtown Plaza," Johnson said during his weekly press conference Tuesday morning. "That could be very monumental for the downtown corridor. The big news is Westfield is no longer willing to stand in the way of the downtown mall being developed."
The city is "extremely committed" to reviving the plaza, he added.
"It's one of our most important assets," Johnson said. "We want a developer to say, 'This is also a high priority for us.' "
However, Johnson added that Westfield's decision should "enhance" arena developers' ability to talk to Westfield about buying the property for a
