ALDI is officially listed as “Coming Soon” to 13723 W Bell Road in Surprise, Arizona, according to the company’s store locator. This address formerly housed Bed Bath & Beyond, which closed before the brand’s collapse. While there’s no announced opening date or visible construction activity as of July 2025, the site appears poised for ALDI’s continued Arizona expansion.
But this location isn’t just another shopping plaza—its story stretches back more than 60 years, beginning with farmland and ending with today’s retail reuse.
From Cotton Fields to Commerce: The Changing Face of Bell Road
In 1958, this stretch of West Bell Road was wide-open agricultural land. Historic aerial imagery shows the area dominated by long crop rows, with no paved roads or structures in sight. It was part of the agricultural belt that surrounded the Phoenix metro before suburban sprawl began pushing westward.
By 1997, the fields were still intact, but signs of encroaching development were visible nearby. Surprise was on the cusp of a major transformation fueled by housing growth, new subdivisions, and the Sun City retirement boom. Developers quickly turned their attention to Bell Road and Grand Avenue (US 60), prime spots for retail…