A relic of retail
-UPDATE BELOW-
27 October 2024
(Source)
Let me say, first of all, that I love Minnesota. I adore how those million or so lakes reflect the bright blue midwestern summer sky. The people are some of the friendliest that I’ve ever met and exemplify the spirit of “Minnesota Nice.” And the drivers… Well, that’s another story. But I digress. I love Minnesota, in particular the Twin Cities. Let me qualify that. I love the Twin Cities between April and September.
-UPDATE- 1 to 2- Construction on Southdale Center’s south side. 3- Kowalski’s supermarket on the spot where Donaldson’s used to stand. 4- Puttshack occupies the space below Kowalski’s. 5- The mall common area between Kowalski’s and Lifetime. 6- Lifetime, where JCPenney was originally.
Those upper midwestern winters can be brutal, especially to a southern boy like me. The extreme weather can be as harsh as it is alluring. And don’t even get me started on the temperatures… The first time I stepped outside in Minnesota was on a January afternoon. I learned something new that day, that nose hairs can freeze.
-UPDATE- Southdale Center Mallmanac ca. 1960. View the full PDF version here.
What better place to be the birthplace of the modern indoor, climate controlled shopping mall as we know it today? Southdale Center in the Minneapolis suburb of Edina is popularly known as the one to fill that role.
-UPDATE- 1- The eastern main mall entrance. 2 to 4- The western mall common area exterior including the retro brick work of Cycle Gear. 5- The AMC Theaters. 6- Dave & Buster’s façade.
Sure, indoor urban arcades had been around for decades. But this was the world’s first shopping mall to be built entirely enclosed with complete climate control from the very beginning and to feature competing anchors as well.
Southdale Center Mallmanac ca. 2000. View the full PDF version here.
The mall, a design of Victor Gruen, opened in 1956 just to the south of Minneapolis. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of retail history knows the tale as far as its creator goes. Gruen envisioned a self-contained village, with retail, residential and office zones in a pedestrian friendly environment.
-UPDATE- 1 to 4- The exterior of the Macy’s store, originally signed as Dayton’s. 5 & 6- The northern facing mall entrance leading to the food court and the Lifetime location.
However, Gruen was heartbroken to see that it developed no further than its retail origins. The expansive asphalt parking lot, originally intended to be available tracts for construction of his vision, remained just that- parking. And his utopic dream of live-work-shop never came to fruition.
-UPDATE- 1- The vintage clock still hangs above what was once the Garden Court. 2 to 6- The central concourse formerly known as Garden Court.
Amazingly, this oldest of US shopping malls has survived and thrived over the decades. Its biggest challenge came in 1992 when the behemoth Mall of America opened in nearby Bloomington. But with the same visionary spirit that brought Southdale into existence in the first place, Southdale was proactive in regard to the new threat.
-UPDATE- Southdale Center lease plan ca. 2010. View the full PDF version here.
The owners updated the entire facility and added stores on the third level tailored to the younger demographic, calling the new collection Trendz on Top. They even added a small outdoor element of restaurants and entertainment, years before it became the thing to do at seemingly every other shopping center in the nation. Then they marketed themselves as the mall of the local population while the Mall of America would surely be a huge tourist draw.
-UPDATE- The main central corridor, formerly Garden Court.
As a result, Southdale, the granddaddy of themall (them all or the mall, however you want to look at it) soldiers on to this day. Not having visited since 2004, I was devastated to hear that it has hit hard times. The vacancies are growing and the mall’s current owners seem not to have that proactive spirit that their predecessors had. These are difficult facts to face as I have always thought of it as a great place.
-UPDATE- The main central corridor, formerly Garden Court.
However, Southdale remains my favorite in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. There’s just something so fabulously old school about these first generation malls. There’s always something new to see, from darkened empty basements to mysterious staircases.
-UPDATE- Southdale Center Mallmanac ca. 2013. View the full PDF version here.
In a society where everything, even million square foot shopping fortresses are considered disposable, I hope that what should be venerated as the beginning of an era never meets its demise. Southdale seems to have made its own permanent mark in the retail landscape and hopefully it’ll stay that way.
-UPDATE- 1 to 5- The less extravagant side corridors off of Garden Court. 6 to 8- The small basement level in what was formerly known as Gallery Court.
-UPDATE-
-27 October 2024
By the time 2024 rolled around and I was able to make my first visit to the cities in two decades, I was hoping for the best as I approached Southdale Center from West 69th. The first thing to greet my eyes was a massive construction project. Or was it a demolition…
The mall area just to the northwest of Garden Court, partially made up of the original building for Dayton’s.
I was pleased to find that the area between the AMC Theaters and Kowalski’s Market (the former Mervyn’s location) was being redeveloped into more restaurants and entertainment options in an outdoor facing luxury “lifestyle” addition.
Southdale Center Mallmanac ca. 2017. View the full PDF version here.
The afore mentioned Mervyn’s originally started as a Donaldson’s at Southdale’s opening. It was converted to a Carson Pirie Scott in 1988 until taken over by Mervyn’s in 1995. This store was shuttered in 2004 and remained vacant until Herberger’s took its place in 2011.
Southdale Center’s common area just to the northwest of Garden Court.
Herberger’s hung on until 2018 when they departed. It wasn’t until 2024 that the space was repurposed as a Kowalski’s supermarket. This marked the first time that a grocery store had taken up tenancy in Southdale since Red Owl opened as an original merchant.
The three level wing between Macy’s and Dave & Buster’s.
The other original and competing anchor was Minneapolis based department store icon Dayton’s. Their tenure lasted until 2001 when Marshall Fields took their place. During their tenancy, they added a third floor to their original store in 1963 before raising entirely new digs in 1991.
Southdale Center lease plan ca. 2022. View the full PDF version here.
Dayton’s new pad was built adjacent to the old store, with the 1956 location being renovated into more mall shops, thus adding additional third level space to Southdale Center. After ceding to Marshall Fields in 2001, the new tenants themselves were soon usurped by Macy’s in 2006.
Southdale Center’s mainly vacant third tier, home of Dave & Buster’s.
The only other full line department store anchor was added along with an appended wing labeled the Gallery Court in 1972 when JCPenney affixed their own nameplate to Southdale. They remained onsite until 2017, replaced a few years later by a Lifetime athletic facility in addition to as several exterior facing shops.
The nearly hidden escalators leading down to another small basement level. Initially part of the original Dayton’s building, its access is now closed.
The highlight for me, however, is definitely the central corridor formerly known as the Garden Court. The three level expanse with its raised ceilings and abundance of natural light must have been a joy to behold in its younger days when greenery of all types complemented the dark earth tone accents groovily.
Southdale Center Mallmanac ca. 2024. View the full PDF version here.
Even to this day, what was once called the Garden Court impresses. Though under extensive renovation on my last visit, the concept of the garden was kept alive with the three brass trees and several wall garden panels, though I’m sure that the greenery was artificial.
1 & 2- More shots of Southdale Center’s common areas. 3- Macy’s mall entrance. 4- The entrance leading down to the Macy’s men’s store, which takes up much of the small basement area that has been closed off. 5- The western facing upper level mall entrance. 6- The escalators leading up to Dave & Buster’s. 7- The second level. 8- Part of the former Gallery Court, built for the addition of JCPenney.
While for the most part Southdale Center does look healthy enough and is owned by developers who still seem to want to invest in the historic facility, there are some darker spots. This is most evident on the third floor where Dave & Buster’s is surrounded by nothing but darkened neighbors.
1- The corridor leading to what was once Gallery Court, home of the Dining Pavilion. 2 to 5- The now mainly empty Southdale Center food court. 6 & 7- The skylights of Gallery Court. 8- The split halves of Lifetime, originally constructed as JCPenney.
On the bright side, high density residential buildings have been added within walking distance of Southdale Center as well as a hotel on the northeast corner of the property. Today, maybe Victor Gruen wouldn’t be so dismayed with his creation. It’s only taken close to 70 years, but it seems to be moving in that direction.
