Wikipedia

Ridgedale Center

Ridgedale Center, colloquially known as Ridgedale, is an enclosed shopping mall in Minnetonka, Minnesota, a western suburb of the Twin Cities. It is directly located off I-394/US 12 between Ridgedale Drive and Plymouth Road (Hennepin CSAH 61). Ridgedale Center comprises 1,105,337 square feet (100,000 m2) of leaseable retail space, and contains approximately 140 retail tenants. It is currently jointly owned by Brookfield Properties and CBRE Group, and managed by Brookfield. The anchor stores are JCPenney, Nordstrom, Macy's, and Dick's House of Sport.

Ridgedale Center
Ridgedale Center, 2019
Map
LocationMinnetonka, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates44°58′05″N 93°26′17″W / 44.968°N 93.438°W / 44.968; -93.438
Address12401 Wayzata Boulevard
Opening date1974; 50 years ago (1974)
DeveloperDayton–Hudson Corporation
ManagementBrookfield Properties
OwnerBrookfield Properties (51%), CBRE Group (49%)
ArchitectCerny Assoc.[1]
No. of stores and services140
No. of anchor tenants4 (4 open)
Total retail floor area1,105,337 square feet (100,000 m2)
No. of floors2
Parking5,300
Public transit accessBus transport Metro Transit
Websiteridgedalecenter.com

Built in 1974, it was originally anchored by Dayton's, Donaldson's, JCPenney, and Sears, before the first two anchors merged with other companies. The mall has undergone several expansions and renovations throughout the years, including the recent addition of a Nordstrom department store in 2015. Considered an "upscale shopping center", Ridgedale includes various luxury brands such as Coach New York, Swarovski, and TUMI.

History

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1974–86: Grand opening

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Announced in 1972,[2] Ridgedale Center was constructed on 81.3 acres of land owned by the Dayton-Hudson Corporation dating back to 1964.[3] Opening in 1974, after two preliminary name changes from "Oakdale" to "Twelve Oaks" to, finally, Ridgedale, it became the Twin Cities' fourth 'Dale' shopping center, following Southdale, Brookdale, and Rosedale.[4] Construction of the shopping center began in 1972, amidst complaints from environmental groups.[5]

The original center comprised 1,040,000 square feet (97,000 m2) of retail space, and was anchored by Dayton's, Donaldson's, JCPenney, and Sears, the former of which also developed the center.[6]

1987–2006: Dayton's, Marshall Field's, and Macy's

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In 1987, Donaldson's announced the merger with Chicago-based department store chain Carson Pirie Scott.[7] The 128,395 square feet (12,000 m2) Donaldson's store was converted to Carson Pirie Scott. Carson Pirie Scott store would also eventually leave Ridgedale Center in 1995.[8]

Dayton's announced plans in the early 1990s to tear down their current location at Ridgedale, and replace it with a much larger location in the same mall; these plans were also made at the other 'dale' centers, like Southdale and Rosedale.[9] However, these plans were eventually scrapped and never occurred. In 1996, Dayton's opened up a second anchor store in the former Carson's location.[10] This second store was seen as a direct move from Dayton's to keep Nordstrom out of Ridgedale.[11] The new store focused on men's clothing and furniture, while the original location changed focus and became centered on women's and children's clothing; the two stores were differentiated by their new titles, "Men's & Home Store" and "Women's and Children's Store".[12]

Mervyn's, a California-based department store, announced interest in the former building, but never opened, despite opening locations at former Carson's locations at Brookdale Center, Eden Prairie Center, and Rosedale Center.[8] In 2001, Dayton's merged with Chicago-based Marshall Field's, which merged with Macy's in 2006.[13]

2007–present: Renovations and Nordstrom opens, Sears closes, Dick's Sporting Goods opens

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In early 2007, Ridgedale underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation to "freshen and brighten" the mall, with the use of "all-new lighting, flooring, and paint."[14] The renovation also included the addition of new restrooms and seating areas.[15] Completion of the renovation process occurred later that same year. The center was also briefly mentioned in the commercially successful 2007 film Juno.[16]

In 2009, Nordstrom announced plans to open a location at Ridgedale in 2011; however, these plans were later cancelled due to General Growth Properties, the mall's owner, filing for bankruptcy.[17] This announcement came with the closure of the Macy's Men's & Home Store.[18] Later in 2013, Nordstrom confirmed plans to open up a 140,000 square feet (13,000 m2) department store at Ridgedale by 2015; these plans allowed Macy's current anchor of 202,000 square feet (19,000 m2) to grow into a larger, 286,000 square feet (27,000 m2) location.[19] The Macy's Women's & Children's Store was expanded to provide additional space for the combination; during this process, a major fire occurred at the construction site, delaying the construction by several weeks.[20]

On June 4, 2014, deconstruction of the Men's & Home Store occurred, to make way for the new Nordstrom store, plus an additional 85,000 square feet (7,900 m2) of leaseable space, presumably for upscale retail and dining options.[21] This expansion was evaluated at $50 million, according to General Growth Properties.[22] The Nordstrom location officially opened on October 2, 2015, followed by a grand opening ceremony.[23]

On October 15, 2018, it was announced that Sears had filed for bankruptcy and plans on closing 142 stores. These closures include the Sears at Ridgedale, which held a liquidation sale until the end of the year.[24]

In 2022, a Dick's Sporting Goods opened at the mall.

References

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  1. ^ Minnesota Modern Registry, Docomomo US MN, accessed May 18, 2022.
  2. ^ "25 Jan 1972, Page 1 - The Minneapolis Star at Newspapers.com". Star Tribune (Minneapolis - St. Paul).
  3. ^ "21 Apr 1964, Page 95 - The Minneapolis Star at Newspapers.com". Star Tribune (Minneapolis - St. Paul).
  4. ^ Way, Prange. "Southdale Center and Victor Gruen; Edina, Minnesota". Labelscar. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  5. ^ "31 May 1972, Page 6 - Star Tribune at Newspapers.com". Star Tribune (Minneapolis - St. Paul).
  6. ^ "Southdale Center: The First Indoor Shopping Mall: Overview". Minnesota History Center: Gale Family Library. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  7. ^ "Who Invented the Shopping Mall?". Today I Found Out. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Carson Pirie Scott Company Ridgedale v. County of Hennepin". FindLaw for Legal Professionals. 23 April 1998. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  9. ^ "How to Build a Better Lifestyle Center" (PDF). MallFinder. 2005. p. 8. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  10. ^ "13 Jul 1996, Page 44 - Star Tribune at Newspapers.com". Star Tribune (Minneapolis - St. Paul).
  11. ^ "6 Jan 1995, Page 18 - Star Tribune at Newspapers.com". Star Tribune (Minneapolis - St. Paul).
  12. ^ Ewoldt, John (28 February 2014). "Macy's brings its Ridgedale tore locations under one roof". Star Tribune. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  13. ^ Aburia, Hebba; Matson, Marci (March 2013). "Daytons vs. Donaldsons: Southdale Success". Edina Magazine. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  14. ^ Vomhof Jr., John (25 January 2007). "Ridgedale Center to get facelift". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  15. ^ "Ridgedale Shopping Center". Explore Minnesota. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  16. ^ Tramer, Jeremy (19 April 2012). "Ten Things I Hate About 'Juno'". The Hoya. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  17. ^ "Nordstrom Coming to Ridgedale Center in Fall 2015". Fox 9 KMSP. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
  18. ^ Moore, Janet (3 January 2013). "Macy's to close one Ridgedale mall store". Star Tribune. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  19. ^ Glander, Becky (7 January 2013). "Macy's Stores Combine; Nordstrom Store Comes to Ridgedale". Minnetonka Patch. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  20. ^ Murphy, Esme (26 November 2013). "Macy's Store At Ridgedale Mall Evacuated Due To Fire". WCCO-TV. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  21. ^ Black, Sam (4 June 2014). "Ridgedale tears down former Macy's for new Nordstrom store, plans other upgrades (Photos)". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  22. ^ Warden, James (29 August 2014). "Nordstrom picks up Ridgedale store property for $10". Finance & Commerce. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  23. ^ Sterken, Emily (2 October 2015). "Nordstrom Opens Doors At Ridgedale In Minnetonka". PR Newswire. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  24. ^ "Sears near the Capitol and at Ridgedale fall at last". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2018-10-15.
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