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List of Minneapolis Skyway System-related articles

Guide	West of 2nd Avenue	2nd Avenue – 1st Avenue	1st Avenue – Hennepin Avenue	Hennepin Avenue – LaSalle Avenue	LaSalle Avenue – Nicollet Mall	Nicollet Mall – Marquette Avenue	Marquette Avenue – 2nd Avenue	2nd Avenue – 3rd Avenue	3rd Avenue – 4th Avenue	4th Avenue – 5th Avenue	5th Avenue – Portland Avenue	Portland Avenue – Park Avenue	Park Avenue – Chicago Avenue	Chicago Avenue – 11th Avenue
1st Street – 2nd Street	—						The Churchill Apartments	—
2nd Street – Washington Avenue	—						100 Washington North	—
Washington Avenue – 3rd Street	—			RBC Gateway		Marquette Plaza	111 Washington Square The Crossings	Wells Fargo Operations Center	Brixx Building Cortland Mill District	Gateway Ramp	—
3rd Street – 4th Street	—			Minneapolis Central Library		365 Nicollet	330 South Second	317 Second Avenue South TriTech Center	Diana E. Murphy U.S. Courthouse	Grain Exchange Building	Wells Fargo Downtown East Campus West	Wells Fargo Downtown East Campus East	Stadium Parking Ramp	U.S. Bank Stadium
4th Street – 5th Street	—			414 Nicollet Mall Lumber Exchange Building Midtown Garage		401 Nicollet Mall The Nic on Fifth Powers flagship store	Downtown Auto Park Fifth Street Towers Old Republic Title Building	Emery Hotel Lumen Technologies Building McKnight Building	Minneapolis City Hall	Hennepin County Jail	—		425 Park Avenue Garage
5th Street – 6th Street	ABC Ramps	Butler Square	—	50 South Sixth The Andrus Plymouth Building Lawyers Building		60 South Sixth 510 Marquette Westin Minneapolis J.C. Penney flagship store	Canadian Pacific Plaza Rand Tower Soo Line Building	U.S. Bank Plaza	Hennepin County Government Center	Government Center Garage Public Services Building	—	Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center	—
6th Street – 7th Street		Target Center	Mayo Clinic Square	33 South Sixth City Center Marriott City Center Forum Cafeteria Hotel Dyckman Radisson Trade Mart		Gaviidae Common Wells Fargo Center Donaldson's flagship store Northwestern National Bank Building	Hotel Indigo Minneapolis Downtown Northstar Center East Northstar Center West Six Quebec	Capella Tower Hyatt Centric Downtown Minneapolis		Lutheran Brotherhood Building Sora	Moment Apartments Thrivent Headquarters	HCMC Parking Ramp	Hennepin County Medical Center	—
7th Street – 8th Street	—	ABC Ramps	—	Dayton's flagship store Park and Shop Ramp PwC Plaza Radisson Hotel Minneapolis		IDS Center Marquette Hotel	705 Baker 706 Baker 730 Baker 733 Baker	Ameriprise Financial Center Minneapolis Club	SPS Tower	701 Building Centre Village	—
8th Street – 9th Street	—		Hampton Inn & Suites Minneapolis Downtown Pence Building	LaSalle Apartments LaSalle Plaza State Theatre	811 LaSalle Lakewood Building U.S. Bancorp Center The Conservatory	815 Nicollet Mall Medical Arts Building The Metro Apartments RSM Plaza East RSM Plaza West Professionals Building	Deluxe Plaza Foshay Tower	Exodus Residence St. Olaf Catholic Church Two22	NRG Energy Center Ramp	—				—
9th Street – 10th Street	—		Orpheum Theatre	910 LaSalle Avenue Ramp The Chambers Hotel Hennepin at 10th Ramp	Target flagship store	923 Nicollet Mall Young Quinlan Building	AT&T Tower International Centre Marten Ramp	—	Ameriprise Client Service Center	—
10th Street – 11th Street	—				Target Plaza South	—	Hilton Minneapolis	Leamington Garage	—
11th Street – 12th Street				—		Orchestra Hall	11th & Marquette Municipal Ramp	—
12th Street – Grant Street	—				Hyatt Regency Minneapolis	Millennium Minneapolis Westminster Presbyterian Church	Minneapolis Convention Center		—

List of Nicollet Mall anchor stores, showing year opened and closed, and location

Anchor store name	Year opened	Year closed	Location	Size
Carson Pirie Scott	1988	1993	City Center	275,276 square feet (26,000 m2)
Dayton's	1903	2001	Dayton's flagship store
Donaldson's	1884	1982	Donaldson's flagship store
Donaldson's	1982	1988	City Center	275,276 square feet (26,000 m2)
Filene's Basement	1993	1994	City Center
Goodfellow's	1902	1903	Dayton's flagship store
Macy's	2006	2017	Dayton's flagship store
Marshall Field's	2001	2006	Dayton's flagship store
Marshalls	1995	2023	City Center
Montgomery Ward	1993	1997	City Center
Neiman Marcus	1991	2013	60 South Sixth	119,271 square feet (11,000 m2)
Nordstrom Rack	2017	2022	IDS Center
Office Depot	1999	2014	City Center	23,687 square feet (2,200 m2)
Powers	1894	1985	Powers Dry Goods flagship store
Room & Board	1992	1995	Gaviidae Common
Saks Fifth Avenue	1989	2005	Gaviidae Common	118,338 square feet (11,000 m2)
Saks Off 5th	2016	2021	City Center	40,413 square feet (3,800 m2)
Saks Off 5th	2005	2015	Gaviidae Common
Sports Authority	2015	2016	City Center
Target	2001	—	Target flagship store
TJ Maxx	1994	2005	IDS Center
Walgreens	2015	—	Gaviidae Common
Woolworth	1973	1993	IDS Center
Young Quinlan	1926	1985	Young Quinlan flagship store

33 South Sixth

33 South Sixth (originally International Multifoods Tower) is a 52-story office skyscraper located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on 6th Streets, between Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet Mall. It is adjoined to the Minneapolis City Center retail complex, and connected to the Minneapolis Skyway System.

History

In 2009, Brookfield announced intent to sell 33 South Sixth and the adjoining City Center complex, exiting themselves from the downtown Minneapolis real estate market completely. By the year-end, both properties were listed as "discontinued operations" by Brookfield.

Architecture

Exterior

Like the adjoining City Center plaza, 33 South Sixth received criticism for its exterior appearance.

However, architecture critic Bernard Jacob found the first two floors of the tower facing 6th Street to help reinforce the street geometry and provide direct access to its elevators.

Interior

James Lileks of Star Tribune found the main tower lobby to be "monumental [but] impersonal" and "late '70s, but timeless".

60 South Sixth

60 South Sixth
60 South Sixth pictured in 2016
Former names	Dain Rauscher Plaza RBC Plaza
Alternative names	Gaviidae Common II
General information
Type	Office
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Address	60 6th Street South and 551 Nicollet Mall
Coordinates	44°58′40.5″N 93°16′15″W
Completed	1991
Owner	KBS Realty Advisors
Management	KBS Realty Advisors
Technical details
Floor count	40
Floor area	710,332 sq ft (65,992.0 m2)
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Lohan Associates
Developer	BCE Development Properties Inc.
Renovating team
Architect(s)	Shea Design

60 South Sixth (originally Dain Rauscher Plaza and formerly RBC Plaza) is a 40-story office skyscraper located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall, between 5th and 6th Streets. The property consists of a four-story-structure with retail and office space, a 40-story office tower, and an underground parking garage. It opened in 1991, featuring the state's first and only Neiman Marcus department store and the second phase of the neighboring Gaviidae Common retail complex, once referred to as Gaviidae Common II. Various brands leased space in the retail atrium, including Ann Taylor, Mark Cross, Talbots, and Timberland. The mall quickly lost retailers after the closure of Neiman Marcus in 2013, followed by its State Fare food court. Gaviidae Common II operated from 1991 to 2014, until a renovation, which converted the third and fourth floors to office space, but kept the first and second floors of retailers. It is now apart of 60 South Sixth, and currently houses CenterPoint Energy's state headquarters, in addition to restaurants Caribou Coffee, D'Amico and Sons, Five Guys, and Subway.

60 South Sixth is connected to two buildings via the Minneapolis Skyway System and is adjoined to 510 Marquette and the Westin Minneapolis Hotel.

Site

Prior to the construction of the building, the site formerly housed downtown Minneapolis' JCPenney department store. The site also had a history of retail and economic growth, previously being home to three other department stores: Minneapolis Dry Goods, Leader, and Baker. Other developments drawn for the site included an office tower that IDS Financial planned to lease a majority of. When developing the site, at least sixty percent of the Nicollet Mall street level was to be home to retail, in accordance with the city of Minneapolis' Department of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED).

History

2000s

In 2009, Brookfield officially announced plans to sell RBC Plaza and the adjoining Gaviidae Common II retail complex, exiting themselves from the downtown Minneapolis real estate market completely. They had briefly attempted selling the property in 2008, but the new announcement included the addition of all their city properties, such as 33 South Sixth, Gaviidae Common, and Minneapolis City Center.

2010s

RBC Plaza entered 2013 with an office occupancy rate at approximately 83 percent, receiving nearly US$8.6 million in rent annually.

Gaviidae Common II

See also: Gaviidae Common

Gaviidae Common II

Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Address	505–555 Nicollet Mall
Opening date	August 9, 1991
Closing date	2014 (as Gaviidae Common II)
Developer	BCE Development Properties
Architect	Lohan Associates
No. of stores and services	approx. 30
No. of anchor tenants	1
Total retail floor area
No. of floors	5
Parking	3-story parking ramp with XXX spaces

The original 4-story retail atrium inside 60 South Sixth, including a lower level and mezzanine space, formerly housed the northern, second phase of Minneapolis' Gaviidae Common shopping mall, and was referred to as Gaviidae Common II from 1991 to 2014. A representative from the project's developer said Gaviidae Common II should be thought of together with the first phase, as opposed to two separate buildings. Most of the phase two tenants opened within a year of the adjacent Neiman Marcus store. Retailers Gregory's Shoes and Urban Traveler were the first two traditional tenants to open inside Gaviidae Common II, in November 1991. The mall's first restaurant was Morton's of Chicago, an upscale steakhouse that opened on December 8, in the lower level concourse space facing 6th Street. It also featured a "board room" for private dining and events, and sold out of most of its dinner reservations for their first two months of business.

To promote the new center, on May 18, 1992, Gaviidae Common I and II implemented a parking discount for customers, who would receive a $5 validation if they spent $20 or more at most mall retailers; Morton's of Chicago, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue created their own parking ticketing systems. Luxury leather goods retailer Mark Cross opened their 24th United States store at the mall in August 1992, in a 1,600-square-foot (150 m²) space. The mark of Gaviidae Common II's official grand opening began on November 30, 1992, with the opening of several stores, like the toy store Alphabet Soup, women's retailers Christensen Mix and Joan Vass, café Kava's Coffee and Tea, and Neuchatel Chocolates, a confectionery shop. Juster's, a prominent downtown Minneapolis apparel retailer, also relocated from its store one block north to the mall in November. Simultaneously, the company also opened an adjacent Timberland location.

On the fourth floor of Gaviidae Common II was a food court named State Fare, which was designed in reference to the annual Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. The stalls within the food court began opening throughout 1992, although its official grand opening occurred with the rest of the mall in December 1992; inaugural tenants included Chicago Steak & Fry, Manchu Wok, McDonald's, Subway, Villa Pizza, and Neiman Marcus' FreshMarket concept. By 1993, Brookfield Development reported that the center was 75 percent leased, with the group's senior VP, Harold Brandt, admitting: "The challenge in any vertical shopping center is to determine a way to get the traffic moving up in the center."

60 South Sixth's three-story retail atrium, as pictured in 2021, when transitioning from its former name, RBC Plaza.

In 1999, the third floor gained an office tenant named Hi-Wire, a post-production film facility owned by Bill Pohlad.

In 2008, the center's retail occupancy rate was at 90 percent.

The McDonald's outlet in the State Fare food court closed in October 2013, the brand's last location in downtown Minneapolis. They had discussed potentially relocating to the second floor following a renovation of the center, along with Andrea Pizza, the final remaining tenant of the fourth floor, although it never occurred. The structure's renovation project was formally announced in January 2014, with Gaviidae Common II to be incorporated as part of RBC Plaza, and the third and fourth floors to be entirely converted into office space. Cushman & Wakefield had purchased the entire structure for US$126 million in 2013, and the company considered the space to be outdated and in need of an update. The retail atrium would also be sealed off from the office tower lobby via a large glass wall, and the elevator access to the third and fourth floors would be removed from the atrium, shortening it from five stories to three. Shea Design's other proposals for the structure included converting the former Morton's of Chicago space into an event center, and maintaining half of the existing food court space while converting the other half into leasable office tenants.

Ann Taylor and Talbots closed their second level stores in 2014, leaving Caribou Coffee and D'Amico and Sons as the only two tenants maintaining leases during the center's renovation and management transition.

505 Nicollet Mall building

The 5th Street entrance to the former Neiman Marcus department store at Gaviidae Common II, adjacent to the Nicollet Mall station.

Gaviidae Common II contained the state's first and only Neiman Marcus department store at 505 Nicollet Mall. It served as the brand's 25th location in the United States, and was set to compete with the neighboring Dayton's and Saks Fifth Avenue anchor stores on Nicollet Mall. They previously had interest in opening their Minneapolis location further south in downtown Minneapolis, but the construction of the retail structure it was to be apart of never came to fruition. Despite Nordstrom signing a letter of intent to be the structure's other anchor, the project stalled and Neiman Marcus ultimately decided in 1988 to open at Gaviidae Common II instead. In order to secure funding for the store's construction, BCE Development Properties requested an Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) in the amount of US$6 million, contributing to the project's $65.4 million total. BCE's Richard Zehring, who headed their Minneapolis-St. Paul offices, stated the fulfillment of the request was essential to attracting Neiman Marcus to the city. BCE later withdrew their request in order to submit a new proposal that would include the Dain Rauscher Plaza office tower in additional to the retail portion. BCE, which became Brookfield Properties, later paid back $29.4 million of the loan in December 2009.

The Neiman Marcus store was constructed in the midst of the United States' early 1990s recession. It also debuted as the nearby Mall of America, the largest shopping center in the United States, in Bloomington was being constructed. Despite the expected financial setbacks, store managers planned for average sales of US$300 per square foot at their Minneapolis location. The brand also enlisted former retail experts from the area, including the former CEO of Harold, an upscale women's retailer that closed their nearby Conservatory location in 1990, who joined as a merchandising manager. The 119,271-square-foot (11,000 m²) store officially opened to the public on August 9, 1991. It was preceded by a series of designer trunk shows and fashion events in its opening week.

Due to the store's location, intersecting the Minneapolis Skyway System, the Neiman Marcus Group reorganized its typical store layout to accommodate the additional second floor entrances. The main floor housed men's fashions, the second level contained fragrances, cosmetics, and women's shoes, with the remaining third and fourth floors having women's fashions. The fourth floor contained a couture section and several designer salons, including collections by Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld, Thierry Mugler, and Donna Karan's DKNY line. Secondary designers were arranged on the third floor, along with a women's sportswear salon. The store design followed an open concept, with aisles spaced widely apart and seating spaces for customers. The men's fitting rooms were adorned with fax machines to accommodate the business clientele of downtown Minneapolis, and the store's concierge service offered taxi and restaurant reservation services.

By 1993, the entire fourth floor was converted into a Neiman Marcus on Sale clearance store, the precursor to Last Call Neiman Marcus. At first, the store location opened without a Neiman Marcus-branded restaurant concept. A FreshMarket by Neiman Marcus eatery opened soon after, located outside of the store, in a restaurant space next to the mall's fourth floor food court. FreshMarket offered lunch options like soups, salads, and pizza, in addition to frozen yogurt and pastries. It was based off of a similar Neiman Marcus restaurant in Dallas, had a seating capacity of 75 persons, and was operational from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Saturday.

For several holiday seasons in the 2000s, Neiman Marcus operated boutiques in Gaviidae Common storefronts named Holiday Glories, which exclusively carried their traditional gift ideas and seasonal food products. In 2008, the Neiman Marcus Group renewed its lease for an additional 5 years in downtown Minneapolis, extended its contractual terms into 2013. The announcement was unexpected, according to Mike Sims, a real estate analyst in Minneapolis, who originally predicted that the organization had plans to terminate the lease. The Minneapolis Neiman Marcus store was highly publicized in 2008 when the Republican Party of the United States purchased $75,000 worth of apparel for Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's attendance of the 2008 Republican National Convention, which was heavily criticized by the media and public. Actress Lisa Rinna also appeared at the store to promote her Harry Loves Lisa TV series and Rinnavation: Getting Your Best Life Ever book.

On July 23, 2012, the Neiman Marcus Group officially announced plans to close the Gaviidae Common II location by July 2013. Karen Katz, the brand's president and CEO, said in its press release: "As it is so rare that we close a store, the difficult decision was based on a great deal of thought, and a careful study of the market as we very much value the relationships we have established in this market." The store underperformed compared to its other locations, and retail analysts felt the upscale nature of Neiman Marcus did not allow for "cross-shopping" with the surrounding lower and mid-tier stores in downtown Minneapolis. It served as the group's first store closing since 2005, at Houston's now demolished Town & Country Mall. By mid-January 2013, it was determined the store would close by the 26th instead of July, due to a strong clearance sale turnout; merchandise from Last Call Neiman Marcus stores was sent to the Minneapolis location in its final week to fill up empty racks. On May 14, 2013, the space was sold to United Properties, who planned to convert the space into a variety of uses. Shea Design, the project's renovation architect, said they intended to create a design that would compliment the neighboring retail tenants. United Properties then leased a majority of the space to CenterPoint Energy, for their new headquarters, who had previously announced they were seeking additional office space in the downtown area. Following the completion of the converted space, a Minneapolis-based tourist group opened a 5,000-square-foot (460 m²) store and visitor's center on the street level corner of Nicollet Mall and 5th Street.

Architecture

Exterior

The second and fourth level skyways connecting 60 South Sixth (left) to Gaviidae Common (right). The decision to build an extension of the Minneapolis Skyway System above the second floor was controversial.

The entire 60 South Sixth structure was designed by Chicago's Lohan Associates architectural firm. It contains 710,332 sq ft (65,992.0 m²) of leasable office space over 40 floors.

In 1991, a fourth floor skyway connection to Gaviidae Common I across 6th Street, becoming the city's first and only skyway above the second floor, was constructed and connected to the structure's retail atrium. The decision was controversial, with some city developers noting that it violated a policy in skyway design, but was ultimately proposed to improve circulation between the mall's two phases. The proposal was originally suggested at the fifth floor level. One year after the skyway opened, Brookfield Development claimed that their overall fourth level foot traffic had improved.

Interior

During its tenure as Gaviidae Common II, the center retail atrium featured red-accented columns and railings, in contrast to the blue tones of Gaviidae Common I. It also once housed the world's only "upward-flowing waterfall" and the fourth floor State Fare food court housed photographs and memorabilia of the Minnesota State Fair, its namesake. During its time as RBC Plaza, the retail atrium and office tower lobby also featured a prominent art collection, displaying pieces owned by RBC's then-CEO Irving Weiser.

811 LaSalle

811 LaSalle (originally LaSalle Court; formerly the Court at the Conservatory and the Highland Bank Building) is a mixed-use structure located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on LaSalle Avenue, between 8th and 9th Streets.

Andrus (Minneapolis)

The Andrus (formerly Renaissance Square) is a nine-story office building located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on the corner of Nicollet Mall and 5th Street.

History

The 8,500-square-foot (790 m²) street-level, northeastern corner retail space sat vacant for 15 years, and was empty as the property transitioned from Renaissance Square to the Andrus. Both property management firms involved the location in "aggressive leasing strateg[ies]" for over two years, and offered years of free rent to prospective tenants. After no success, they began to seek approval from the city to re-market the tenant as an office space, which was against a regional zoning law that required Nicollet Mall structures to offer 60 percent retail at its street level. Dollar General then opened up one of its flagship DGX concept locations in late 2020, catered to serving an urban-focused market, in the space.

Baker Center

Baker Center consists of four adjoined office buildings located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Marquette Avenue, between 7th and 8th Streets. Three of the corner buildings, 705 Baker, 706 Baker, and 733 Baker are all 12-story structures built throughout the 1920s. The southeastern corner, 730 Baker, is the largest structure in the complex, featuring 14 floors, and was completed in 1968.

705 Baker consists of 236,000-square-foot (22,000 m²), 706 Baker consists of 96,476-square-foot (9,000 m²), 730 Baker consists of 299,908-square-foot (28,000 m²), and 733 Baker consists of 236,000-square-foot (22,000 m²).

Tenants

The first two floors of the Baker Center complex are comprised of retail space. Following the successful introduction of Jamba Juice into the nearby Minneapolis City Center, the brand launched a new location on the skyway level in 2000.

Butler Square

In 2010, former Minnesota Twins shortstop Roy Smalley III opened a restaurant named Club 87 that took over the former Champps sports bar on the first floor.

Canadian Pacific Plaza

Canadian Pacific Plaza is a 28-story office skyscraper located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Marquette Avenue, between 5th and 6th Streets.

Churchill Apartments

The Churchill Apartments is a 33-story residential skyscraper located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Marquette Avenue, between 1st and 2nd Streets. The building is atop a two-story parking garage that also houses retail on the first floor.

City Center

Minneapolis City Center

Minneapolis City Center logo
City Center's southeastern corner in March 2023
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates	44°58′41″N 93°16′22″W
Address	33 6th Street South and 40 7th Street South
Opening date	August 10, 1983
Developer	BCE Development Properties Inc.
Management	Ryan Companies
Architect	Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
No. of stores and services	approx. 40
No. of anchor tenants	4
Total retail floor area	456,878 square feet (42,000 m2)
No. of floors	4
Parking	7-story parking ramp with 687 spaces
Website	www.33southsixthcitycenter.com

Minneapolis City Center (or simply City Center) is an indoor shopping mall located in Downtown West, Minneapolis between Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet Mall, and 6th and 7th Streets. The four-story retail atrium adjoins the 33 South Sixth office skyscraper, Minneapolis Marriott City Center hotel, and a seven-story parking garage. The complex also contains six connections to the Minneapolis Skyway System, the most of any city building. City Center was first announced in 1975, with a search for developers beginning that August, and demolition of the site's previous structures beginning in 1979. The mall opened in August 1983, and was preceded by the grand opening of Donaldson's new flagship department store, inside the center, approximately one year prior. Overall, City Center contains 456,878 square feet (42,000 m²) of leasable retail and office space.

City Center was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and features elements of both modern and brutalist architecture. The exterior facade, in particular, received criticism for its gray, drab design. A series of renovations to the mall have occurred, with the first one being in 1993, which redistributed tenant spaces within the former Donaldson's store and improved the overall walkability. Later projects further adjusted the layout of the mall several times. Many stores have leased space at City Center throughout the years, including Allen Edmonds, Bath & Body Works, Brooks Brothers, Sam Goody, and Victoria's Secret.

Following the 2004 renovation which converted its third floor into office space, and removed its food court entirely, the remaining retail space maintained occupancy rates between 60-70 percent annually. The mall was last anchored by Saks Off 5th and Marshalls, which closed in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Other former anchors include Carson Pirie Scott, Donaldson's, Filene's Basement, Montgomery Ward, Office Depot, and Sports Authority. The center currently features retailers like GNC and the UPS Store, and several restaurants, including Cardigan Donuts, Fhima's, Fogo de Chão, Leeann Chin, and Starbucks.

Site

City Center was constructed within an oversized city block in downtown Minneapolis, between Hennepin Avenue and Nicollet Mall, and 6th and 7th Streets. The site had a history of housing retail and hospitality operations, previously serving the Hotel Dyckman since 1910, an upscale French restaurant named Chateau de Paris, the Minneapolis Merchandise Mart, and numerous other shops. The project was formally announced in January 1975 as City Center '75, one of several proposals for new construction in Minneapolis. City Center was the largest building proposed at the time, and was billed as an attempt to stabilize and maintain economic redevelopment in the city's downtown core. Specifically, Minneapolis hoped to welcome two new department stores, construct two office towers, and expand the adjacent Radisson Hotel across the street. Approximately US$145 million was set aside for the redevelopment, with $38 million coming from city assistance in order to obtain property rights for the city block. Critics felt the project was risky for city taxpayers, given the development's projected costs. Nearly $3 million was used for relocation efforts, as a total of 69 existing businesses were removed from the site prior to construction.

The Forum Cafeteria, another structure within the block, unrelatedly closed its doors during construction negotiations in August 1975, citing declining sales; during a period of setbacks for the City Center project, Minneapolis Tribune editor Charles W. Bailey questioned if another restaurant would attempt to open in its place, given the historic nature of the space, before further decisions were made regarding the development's construction. Ultimately, a nightclub named Scottie's on Seventh opened in its space before deconstruction. Some locals questioned whether or not the downtown Nankin Cafe would be demolished for City Center; this was ultimately decided in March 1980 when project officials announced a new location would be a part of the mall, separated from a new location for Scottie's on Seventh by the parking garage.

Barbara Flanagan from the Minneapolis Tribune opined that City Center would flourish if its designers preserved the best historic features of the site, suggesting that similar decisions made in downtown Saint Paul prevented economic success. When plans for City Center were approved by city officials, Hotel Dyckman was the state's first structure set to be demolished by implosion, which occurred on November 19, 1979. The Merchandise Mart was set to be the only structure saved to make way for City Center, and was considered a holdout in 1978, possibly due to its existing skyway connection to the Radisson Hotel. Others felt the Merchandise Mart, which was built in the 1960s, was too new of a structure to be demolished. Flanagan questioned why more was not done to save the Forum Cafeteria structure instead.

Architecture and layout

In August 1975, scouting for the project began, with a group of ten Minneapolis council representatives visiting several North American cities to gather potential developers, ultimately choosing three. Precedent structures developed by the three groups were Pennzoil Place in Houston, Tower Place in Atlanta, and Edmonton Centre in Edmonton. Prior to the winning project proposal, an iteration made in 1973 suggested two octagonal office towers suspended on stilts, directly adjacent to a retail center, a new structure to house Donaldson's, and a significantly larger parking garage facing Hennepin. The developed plan encompassed 800,000 square feet (74,000 m²) and featured designs on an additional city block between Nicollet Mall and Marquette Avenue, and 6th and 7th Streets, which was ultimately reserved for the construction of Gaviidae Common and Wells Fargo Center. Oxford Development Properties was chosen as the developer for City Center, which transitioned to BCE Development Properties Inc. during its construction.

Exterior

City Center's corner at 7th Street and Nicollet Mall in 2018 prior to a facade renovation.

Minneapolis City Center features elements of modern and brutalist architecture. According to MinnPost's Nick Magrino, the center's brutalist exterior appearance is similar to that of the nearby Riverside Plaza apartment complex. Its facade has received criticism over the years, with Neal St. Anthony from Star Tribune noting how locals once referred to the structure as "the Alamo" due to its gray exterior. Linda Mack wrote in a 1993 article, in the same publication, covering the mall's first renovation, which she considered an improvement: "When City Center opened in 1983, it made an architectural thud so loud it reverberated for years. Its gray precast concrete shell and lifeless interior [...] disappointed Minneapolitans." Adding, Nelson said City Center along with its sibling structure Town Square were among Skidmore, Owings and Merrill's low points in architectural design. David Sternberg, president of Brookfield Properties, once admitted that while the property is not particularly attractive from the exterior, it is "premier space" in Minneapolis.

The City Center complex also serves as a major hub for the Minneapolis Skyway System, providing six connections, the most of any Minneapolis building. It connects to 50 South Sixth, the Dayton's flagship store, Gaviidae Common, Mayo Clinic Square, the Plymouth Building, and PwC Plaza. A staircase spanning the street to the skyway connecting City Center to Gaviidae Common, in addition to an identical one located one block south, was proposed in 2014 by American landscape architect James Corner, who the city chose to assist in redesigning Nicollet Mall. Janet Moore from Star Tribune wrote how the success of City Center's design depends on its surroundings, particularly its western side facing Hennepin Avenue, noting that the mall was busier when Carson Pirie Scott was an anchor and the adjacent Block E property served more of a purpose.

In June 2018, an unidentified foreign buyer purchased City Center and the adjoining 33 South Sixth skyscraper for US$320 million, establishing a record-breaking sale for office-designated buildings in Minnesota. Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies serves as the new manager of the retail complex according to city documents, and upon the news, they announced plans to renovate the mall in order to provide better circulation towards Nicollet Mall. On August 1, 2019, the US$3 million renovation began on the mall's eastern facade, beginning with the removal process of several precast concrete panels. One of the new corner entrances to the building, reopened in September 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The refurbished entrance was described as "definitely an upgrade" to City Center by Star Tribune's Neal St. Anthony. The same project, however, was described as "a desperate move [...] to slow the decline of the retail population at City Center, which has been on a very steady decline", according to Brian Lipson, the Principal at the management company that owns the nearby Andrus property.

Interior

City Center contains about 456,878 square feet (42,000 m²) of leasable retail space spread across four floors. Accessible via a set of escalators in the third floor food court was an upper level mezzanine with two additional retail spaces. Via a set of elevators near Hennepin Avenue is a seven-story parking garage with 687 spaces for employees of the building and the adjacent 33 South Sixth. Bill Cannan Design, with Oxford Properties, fronted the graphic design efforts for the mall, producing backlit signs, displays, promotional items, and directories.

The interior circulation and layout of City Center have changed many times following its several renovations. In 1989, due to feedback collected from shoppers of the mall, a new set of escalators was installed connecting the second floor back hallway to its third floor food court. Pedestrian traffic prior to the installation tended to head through the Carson Pirie Scott department store, instead of the secondary corridor. Brookfield Development said the addition was to improve circulation through the skyways connecting the Radisson Hotel and Plymouth Building to the structure, as the food court was placed on third floor to direct circulation towards it. City Center's first interior renovation occurred in 1993, and was performed by the city's architectural firms Alliance Architects and Shea Design. The project improved the mall's window visibility towards Nicollet Mall, and added banners, lighting and awnings to tenant storefronts and at the third floor food court entrances. The redesign opened up the southern half of the former Carson Pirie Scott, and added an atrium that allowed Montgomery Ward customers to look below into Filene's Basement. Other parts of the former Carson Pirie Scott store were transformed into smaller retail spaces along two new corridors. Mack found these changes to improve the mall's walkability.

In 2003, Sternberg announced that the group would renovate City Center, and convert the remaining third floor retail space into office tenants. Existing retail tenants were consolidated to the mall's first two floors, and the food court stalls were removed.

Scottie's on Seventh space

See also: Forum Cafeteria (Minneapolis)

When City Center opened in 1983, the approximate location of the city's former Forum Cafeteria was reserved to house its then-leased restaurant and nightclub, Scottie's on Seventh. In its original location, the restaurant sought to prevent redevelopment of its site and registered the structure with the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Minneapolis Tribune was in favor of the reconstruction of its Art Deco elements inside City Center, arguing that "they would help link the newness of City Center with past and present downtown traditions". During construction, the developers were ultimately required to preserve its Art Deco interior, disassembling and then reassembling the materials inside City Center. As one of the only examples of the architectural style in Minnesota, it garnered a fan base of preservationists. The agreement was reached as the result of two lawsuits brought on by Scottie's on Seventh against Oxford Properties. The new space is located approximately 100 feet away from its original spot. Among the restaurant's notable decor includes panels of etched mirrors, black onyx tiles, cast metal trim, and a large ovular bar. When the space transitioned to Mick's Restaurant in 1996, the bar was removed in favor of a smaller one, and the existing furniture was reupholstered in black, blue, and green fabrics.

The site has had a history of unsuccessful restaurant ventures, with Jim Fuller from the Star Tribune calling the tenant space a graveyard. Following the closure of the revival of Scottie's on Seventh, it became Paramount Café in 1987, which operated under two management companies, and then sat vacant from 1989 until 1992. It then reopened as Mick's until 1996, and later Goodfellow's from 1996 to 2005, Forum from 2010 to 2011, and Il Foro from 2015 to 2016. It currently operates as Fhima's Minneapolis, a French-Moroccan fusion restaurant, which opened in 2018.

History

1980s

City Center beginning construction in the early 1980s. The construction of nearby U.S. Bank Plaza is shown in the background.

Several storefronts opened at the mall in the months following its grand opening, including Aladdin's Castle, JoAnn Fabrics, Laura Ashley, McDonald's, and Things Remembered. By 1986, the average retail tenant at City Center made US$120-140 per square foot.

Victoria's Secret opened one of their largest stores at the time on the skyway level, on July 30, 1986. The 1,200 square feet (110 m²) storefront was located directly below one of its competitors, an Underworld Limited outlet, and featured upgraded fixtures and decor, including marble flooring, pink and cream-accented walls, and scented air. In 1987, representatives from the mall worked with city officials to encourage the demolishment of city buildings located across Hennepin Avenue, in a city block referred to as Block E, where crime rates were experiencing an increase annually. That same year, Donaldson's was rebranded as Carson Pirie Scott, following the completion of a merger that made the former brand defunct. An additional skyway was constructed in 1989 to connect the structure to the new Gaviidae Common shopping center across Nicollet Mall.

1990s

City Center bridges the gap between the 33 South Sixth office skyscraper (left) and the Minneapolis Marriott City Center Hotel (right).

In 1992, Filene's Basement revealed intent to design a flagship store in the City Center's lower level leased by Carson Pirie Scott, which was scheduled to close on January 30, 1993, and housed their offices and furniture department. A spokesperson for the company said the store was to specialize in men's suits and women's wear, in order to compete with Dayton's and the department stores at Gaviidae Common. The following year, Montgomery Ward leased a three-story location that formerly served as the northern half of Carson Pirie Scott. JCPenney had considered the space, but found it too large for their desired store format. The southern half of the former Carson Pirie Scott store was divided into smaller retail spaces, that housed new tenants such as Bath & Body Works, Cacique Lingerie, Express, and a TCF Bank location. The retailers would debut on September 22, 1993, and Brookfield Properties used the date to celebrate the mall's 10-year anniversary. Sam Goody opened that same day, returning to downtown Minneapolis in a 12,225-square-foot (1,100 m²) space in City Center, after formerly having a storefront at the Conservatory two blocks south. The new store acted as a prototype design for the brand, offering a unique video wall to display media to customers. The success of the store resulted in the closure of the company brand's Musicland store nearby. On May 4, 1995, the Filene's Basement store was converted into Marshalls, a Massachusetts-based discount retailer, while other stores in the Minneapolis area were converted to Linens 'n Things locations. The company said their stores generally underperformed in Minnesota, minus their location at the Mall of America in Bloomington.

In May 1999, the Minnesota Law Center converted the third floor of the former Montgomery Ward store into its new office space, and Office Depot announced plans to occupy half (approximately 25,000 square feet (2,300 m²)) of the accompanying street level space. The following month, Limited Brands pulled out of 5 of their 6 retailers at City Center, announcing the closure of their Bath & Body Works, Express, the Limited, Structure, and Victoria's Secret stores, due to City Center operating without an anchor store for an extended period of time, which their lease agreements permitted. The company's Lane Bryant store remained open due to different contractual terms. Also in 1999, the state's first two Jamba Juice outlets opened in City Center, with a restaurant-style location on the first floor and a kiosk on the second.

2000s

The center atrium of City Center, which houses several restaurants like Cardigan Donuts, Leeann Chin, and Naf Naf Grill.

Despite the nearby openings of a Target department store and the construction of the new GameWorks-anchored Block E development across Hennepin Avenue, City Center began to experience decreasing occupancy, entering the new decade with a vacancy rate of over 20 percent and approximately 90 retail tenants. The first new lease in 2000 was for a Copeland's restaurant to occupy the former Nankin Cafe spot. Harold Brandt, former Brookfield Properties president, said they struggled to secure new retailers for the mall until Block E officially opened. A 2001 Star Tribune article by John Ewoldt acknowledged that City Center had been losing retailers consistently. In August 2003, to address this issue, the renovation announcement was made. The mall was then at a 75 percent occupancy rate and had also failed attracting a grocery store to the one of the empty anchor spaces along Nicollet Mall, which was one of Brookfield's goals for the property. Additionally, Target purchased approximately 75,000 square feet (7,000 m²) of the newly converted retail space, transforming it into office space. To promote the construction of the nearby Minneapolis Central Library, Hennepin County Library occupied a vacant storefront in 2004 that offered free poetry readings. Other stores that occupied spaces at City Center during the 2000s included the Body Shop, Champs Sports, Hallmark Cards, Radio Shack, and the city's information center. New restaurants at the mall included Au Bon Pain, Fogo de Chão, and Leeann Chin.

Nordstrom considered City Center and Gaviidae Common in 2006 as potential sites for their second Minnesota department store, and the company's discount brand Nordstrom Rack was rumored to have considered a space as well. Best Buy also toured vacant anchor spots inside the mall, but all three stores ultimately decided not to open locations. In 2009, Brookfield announced intent to sell City Center and the adjoining 33 South Sixth, exiting themselves from the downtown Minneapolis real estate market completely. By the year-end, the properties were listed as "discontinued operations" by Brookfield.

2010s

The former Saks Off 5th store, which anchored City Center from 2016 to 2021.

San Francisco-based Shorenstein Properties purchased City Center in 2012, after not having a presence in the Minneapolis market for several years. The following year, the mall's Len Druskin Outlet store received an award for Best Fashion Clearance Room, as part of the annual Best of Minnesota awards by Star Tribune. In January 2015, Saks Off 5th announced plans to relocate their Minneapolis location, from the neighboring Gaviidae Common to City Center, expanding from a 27,000-square-foot (2,500 m²) store to a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m²) one. The new location opened on April 21, 2016, in the two-story space formerly occupied by Office Depot. Several months prior, Sports Authority also announced plans to lease an anchor store at City Center in the corner facing Nicollet Mall and 7th Street. Nordstrom Rack had interest in the space, but lost the leasing agreement to Sports Authority, ultimately opening down the street inside IDS Center's Crystal Court. After Sports Authority filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2016, the company then closed their City Center store. The space was later used during the Super Bowl LII as a temporary office and information space for National Football League employees and volunteers.

Several restaurants leased space at City Center throughout the 2010s. Cardigan Donuts opened their flagship location on May 11, 2017, in a 2,600 square feet (240 m²) space on the second floor. It is the highest-rated doughnut shop in Minneapolis, according to Yelp. Leeann Chin relocated to a different corridor within the mall, and Minneapolis-based Mexican restaurant Los Ocampos debuted an express version of their chain in 2018. Union 73, a boutique owned by Marcus Lemonis, began a closing sale in 2019 after occupying a 7,000 square feet (650 m²) space; the store was formerly Len Druskin's main City Center location, that received a buyout from Lemonis in 2017.

2020s

The former Marshalls department store operated for nearly 28 years at City Center, pictured 3 days before its closure in January 2023.

Several storefronts closed following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The mall's manager, Jim Durda, said that operating during the pandemic was difficult but thought things were getting better with every week. Both Allen Edmonds and Brooks Brothers shuttered their City Center locations in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The latter store had previously closed their City Center store in 2020 and reopened across the hall that same year, before deciding to close altogether. However, two restaurants, Bad Axe Throwing and Tom's Watch Bar, signed new leases to take over the mall's corner at Hennepin Avenue and 6th Street. Bell Bank and Chase Bank also opened new storefronts, both offering bank telling and financial services. This increased the mall's occupancy rate to 62 percent.

Saks Off 5th departed its anchor location in April 2021 with little notice. In December 2022, Marshalls announced it would close its City Center location by January 14, 2023, after operating for nearly 28 years. Brianna Kelly from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal noted how the closure left Nicollet Mall's Target as the only remaining department store in downtown Minneapolis. She also noted that City Center had previously found success using its retail spaces for dining and entertainment concepts. To address the closures of several prominent downtown retailers and decreasing occupancy rates of skyway level tenants, including within City Center, Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey established a task force named the Vibrant Downtown Storefronts Workgroup.

Incidents

A number of incidents have occurred at City Center throughout the years. Several took place at the mall's Nankin Cafe restaurant. Following the incident, City Center management said the tenant owed US$330,000 in back rent, which Woo disputed and found the claim's timing to be suspicious. Additionally, Nankin Cafe was briefly closed between January and May 1989 due to an employee strike.

On July 15, 2018, a customer inside of the Marshalls store deliberately set a clothing rack on fire, causing US$500,000 worth of damage to merchandise. A looting incident occurred in August 2020, as a result of the 2020 Minneapolis false rumors riot. City Center was one of several buildings vandalized, with a total of three broken windows to the Saks Off 5th and Starbucks stores. The mall reopened the following day.

See also

• 33 South Sixth
• List of shopping malls in Minnesota
• Minneapolis Marriott City Center Hotel

Conservatory (Minneapolis)

The Conservatory

Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates	44°58′32″N 93°16′26″W
Address	800 Nicollet Mall
Opening date	October 12, 1987
No. of stores and services	approx. 60
Total retail floor area
No. of floors	4

The Conservatory was an indoor shopping mall located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall, between 8th and 9th Streets. Following its deconstruction in 199X, U.S. Bancorp Center was erected in its place, and opened in 2000.

History

1980s

On April 28, 1986, the first stage of deconstruction of the site's existing structures occurred.

1990s

The closing of the Harold store may have marked the beginning of the mall's decline.

Closure

See also: U.S. Bancorp Center

By June 1996, the mall contained only two tenants, both of which were non-retail. The Fetterly & Gordon law firm and O'Leary & Grant executive search firm had an unexpired lease and one that ended in 2002, respectively, that would only require the tenants to vacate in the case that the mall's manager would receive permission from the City of Minneapolis "to clear title to the propert[ies] by use of eminent domain powers," which Ryan Companies eventually pursued. In regards to its impending closure, the Star Tribune's Sally Apgar used the Conservatory as evidence that Nicollet Mall had become "too upscale" for the average shopper, and felt the openings of nearby Southdale Center in 1956 and Mall of America in 1992, the United States' first indoor mall and largest mall, respectively, contributed to an overall decline in downtown Minneapolis shopping.

One month later, proposals began being made to take over the site of the Conservatory. Unlike other downtown Minneapolis building proposals from the time, US Bancorp Center was designed with minimal retail space, totaling no more than 40,000 square feet (3,700 m²). Ryan Companies' Vice President John Griffith explained during a Minneapolis planning committee meeting: "If Burberry's had a hard time making it at Gaviidae Common with Nicollet Mall exposure, why would Burberry's make it here?"

Crossings (Minneapolis)

The Crossings is a 19-story residential skyscraper located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall, between Washington Avenue and 3rd Street. It features various condominium units atop a two-story retail structure titled Commerce at the Crossings.

Dayton's flagship store

Dayton's flagship store
Alternative names	The Dayton's Project
General information
Type	Retail and office
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Address	700 Nicollet Mall
Coordinates	44°58′37″N 93°16′20″W
Opened	June 24, 1902
Technical details
Floor area

The Dayton's flagship store is located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall, between 7th and 8th Streets. Beginning in 1902, the original 6-story structure housed the Goodfellow's department store before rebranding under the Dayton's name the following year. It served as the flagship store for the brand until 2001, when it became apart of Marshall Field's. Following Macy's acquisition of Marshall Field's in 2006, the company operated the store under the Macy's brand, although the particular location was still referred to as Dayton's by many locals. In January 2017, the flagship store closed after a liquidation sale, and began transitioning into its current use, a mixed-use development named the Dayton's Project.

The original structure has been expanded, renovated, and modified numerous times since its inception. The first, 3-story addition occurred in 1917 along 8th Street, and later projects increased the store's size to XX and 12 floors.

History

as Goodfellow's

The building opened to the public on June 24, 1902, as Goodfellow Dry Goods Company.

as Macy's

Along with the transition from Marshall Field's, Prada announced that their boutique location inside of the Minneapolis store's Oval Room would close. Macy's said that it was not their own decision, and replaced the vacancy with a Jil Sander boutique. With Chicago being the nearest Prada salon, Minneapolis retail analysts felt the Macy's store was planning to cater to a slightly less upscale clientele. The Louis Vuitton boutique on the first floor was unaffected by the transition. In January 2008, the flagship J.B. Hudson Jewelers store relocated south on Nicollet Mall to the Young Quinlan flagship store, in a space recently vacated by Polo Ralph Lauren.

Macy's first started exploring options for the building's redevelopment in 2015, as part of an initiative to overhaul the brand's downtown stores in Minneapolis, Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco, according to their CEO Terry Lundgren. At the time of the announcement, a significant portion of the Nicollet Mall location was unused, previously housing office space for the brand's former Midwest division until 2009.

as the Dayton's Project

The Dayton's Project has struggled to attract retailers. The Star Tribune's editorial board argued that in order for the new complex to succeed, they would need to appeal to those who live in suburbs, and not just the general downtown business and residential populations.

Beginning in 2021, the Dayton's Project began housing a number of pop-up shops and kiosks in spaces on its first floor, specifically during the holiday seasons and in the spring. Additionally, the annual tradition of decorating the street level display windows restarted. The second annual market in 2022 reintroduced the collectible teddy bear that Dayton's offered seasonally during its operation, and featured twice as many shops from the prior year, including the addition of Red Wing Shoes. Allison Kaplan from Twin Cities Business Magazine opined that despite the impressive increase in size of the market, the Dayton's Project had yet to sign any new permanent retailers in the space.

Design and store layout

The Oval Room

The Oval Room housed upscale, luxury fashions and was managed by Jeanne Auerbacher.

Reception

During Macy's tenure of the building, Matt Sepic from MPR News felt the location's historical significance played an important role for the company, "reinforcing the brand at a time when they have more choices than ever."

Emery Hotel

The Emery Hotel (originally the Midland Bank Building and formerly the Hotel Minneapolis) is a hotel located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Marquette Avenue and 4th Street.

Fifth Street Towers

Fifth Street Towers refers to two adjoining office skyscrapers located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on 5th Street between Marquette and 2nd Avenues. Similar in appearance, 100 Fifth is a 25-story office tower, while the taller 150 Fifth has 36 stories.

History

In 2005, the entire complex was sold to CBRE Group. As a result, the interior atrium received a renovation, which removed an existing self-service convenience kiosk, and added a few retail and dining tenants, such as a Caribou Coffee outlet and a deli named the Simple Sandwich.

Architecture

Interior

Throughout the retail atrium are lounge-type spaces with arm chairs, tables, and skylights.

Gaviidae Common

Gaviidae Common

Nicollet Mall entrance to Gaviidae Common in 2013
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates	44°58′38″N 93°16′17″W
Address	651–655 Nicollet Mall
Opening date	August 18, 1989
Developer	BCE Development Properties Inc.
Architect	Pelli Clark Pelli
No. of stores and services	approx. 30
No. of anchor tenants	2
Total retail floor area	237,000 square feet (22,000 m2)
No. of floors	5
Parking	2.5-story parking ramp with XXX spaces

Gaviidae Common (also referred to as Gaviidae Common I between 1991 and 2014) is an indoor shopping mall located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Nicollet Mall, between 6th and 7th Streets. It is a five-story-structure that occupies half of a city block, adjoined to Wells Fargo Center, and is connected to three neighboring buildings via the Minneapolis Skyway System. Following the closure of the mall's Saks Off 5th department store in 2015, Gaviidae Common began being marketed as two separate properties. The northern portion of the structure houses retail and a majority of the city's downtown YMCA campus, while the southern part, 655 Nicollet, includes a four-story-portion that once housed a Saks Fifth Avenue department store and is now occupied by Walgreens' flagship Minneapolis store, in addition to medical and office space.

The shopping mall was designed by Pelli Clark Pelli, completed in 1989, and contains the state's largest barrel-vaulted ceiling. It has connections to 60 South Sixth, IDS Center, and Minneapolis City Center via the Minneapolis Skyway System, with the first structure once housing the second phase of the mall – Gaviidae Common II – from 1991 to 2014. Gaviidae Common reduced its retail space considerably in 1995 when its owners at the time converted 95,200 square feet (8,800 m²) into office space for National City Bank, forcing and prompting several retailers to vacate, including a Room & Board anchor store. Other former retailers at the mall include Burberry, Cole Haan, Jos. A. Bank, Pendleton, and St. Croix.

Site

Prior to the construction of Gaviidae Common, the site, at Nicollet Mall between 6th and 7th Streets, formerly housed the flagship Donaldson's department store.

History

1980s

A skyway connecting Gaviidae Common (left) to the City Center shopping mall (right) was established in 1989.

Saks Fifth Avenue was announced as the project's sole anchor, as part of a US$300 million investment from the retailer to open four new department stores in the United States.

Gaviidae Common opened on August 18, 1989, with an official grand opening ceremony. The 118,338 square feet (11,000 m²) Saks Fifth Avenue location opening set a record, signing up more new charge card accounts than ever before for the retailer; it also had the fourth highest "opening-day sales volume" of any location. Over 40 retailers opened in Gaviidae Common on the first day, with many of them being luxury-focused. Anne Klein, Burberry, Cole Haan, Pendleton, and Sunglass Hut were among the tenants to debut on opening day. A Gloria Jean's Coffees outlet and restaurant named Mama Ilardo's Pizza were also announced, but ultimately never opened. Of the two eateries to open in 1989 were Annie's Frozen Yogurt and a specialty store named Snikker's, with two more planned at the time. An event center with ballroom spaces and a restaurant owned by Richard D'Amico was announced, to supplement the lack of traditional mall eateries. Several tenants who initially signed onto the project but backed out included the Company Store, Davlin's, Gucci, Laura Ashley, Mondi, and Nancy Lawrence.

1990s

The Museum Company opened their first store in Minnesota at Gaviidae Common in 1990. That same year, two of the original tenants of Gaviidae Common closed permanently, being in operation for less than one year. D.C. Magnuson, an upscale shoe store, and Pro-Line Sports, located on the fourth and fifth levels respectively, shuttered their doors in January. The former tenant complained of lower than expected mall foot traffic, and was disappointed the mall decided not to open a food court on its top floor, which was initially planned. The food court addition was later planned for the center's second phase, Gaviidae Common II across 6th Street, which was initially scheduled to open in 1991, but ultimately waited until the following year. This also allowed for Brookfield Development to seek new retail tenants, who claimed they were not attempting to compete with the opening of the nearby Mall of America in Bloomington. Gaviidae Common II's Neiman Marcus department store, however, did not follow suit with the delay and held a grand opening ceremony on August 9, 1991.

By 1992, Gaviidae Common I's 237,000 square feet (22,000 m²) of leasable retail space maintained an occupancy rate of approximately 82 percent. In that same year, Brookfield Development obtained full ownership of Gaviidae Common I, purchasing the remaining share for US$87 million that they did not control from RETA Retail Acquisitions; the same deal allowed Brookfield Development complete management of Water Tower Place in Chicago. In October of that year, Room & Board opened their fourth Minnesota location that spanned the entirety of the mall's fourth floor, minus the portion occupied by Saks Fifth Avenue. John Gabbert, the furniture store's chairman, considered the addition unusual to an urban shopping center, but ultimately found downtown Minneapolis desirable and the mall to feature a complimentary mix of upscale retail. Gaviidae Common also welcomed the addition of Trail Mark, a test concept store by Columbia Sportwear, that same month.

In March 1995, Brookfield Properties sold 95,200-square-foot (8,800 m²) of various tenants, mostly on the third through fifth floors, to serve as a new headquarters for National City Bank. The 10-year lease forced Burberry, Room & Board and both fifth floor restaurants, Azur and Toulouse, among other tenants, to vacate. Barbara Flanagan of the Star Tribune criticized this decision, posing the question: "Isn't there other space [in downtown Minneapolis] more adaptable to banking offices without killing off such lively tenants?" By 1998, rumors had circulated that the Saks Fifth Avenue location was struggling, due to the brand's recent change in corporate ownership. Crazy Carrot, a smoothie shop on the skyway level, was purchased by Jamba Juice in 1999, who ultimately closed the location.

2000s

In 2005, 3 of 4 floors of the former Saks Fifth Avenue department store at Gaviidae Common (shown), were converted to a Saks Off 5th location.

Ben & Jerry's opened a temporary kiosk on the second floor in 2000, dedicated to servicing the additional pedestrian traffic from the adjacent annual Holidazzle Parade event. The neighboring Neiman Marcus store also seasonally opened holiday boutiques named Holiday Glories at the mall in the 2000s; they were fitted in red, translucent hues and the Minneapolis location was chosen to reach more of the downtown worker demographic. During the 2004 holiday season, the success of Holiday Glories boutique led to it being the only location the company returned with that year.

Pendleton closed their 14-year-old store in 2003, but maintained stores elsewhere in the Minneapolis region. By 2004, Aveda's Juut Salonspa relocated from the Neiman Marcus wing to a second-level space near Saks Fifth Avenue. In January 2005, Saks Fifth Avenue vacated a portion of its anchor space while retaining a 27,000-square-foot (2,500 m²) section for a Saks Off 5th clearance store. By the terms of its lease agreement, Saks Fifth Avenue was required to maintain a retail presence in the building until at least 2015. The retailer reported that sales for Minneapolis location were around US$10 million annually, or $120 per square foot, which was behind the nationwide location average of $357 per square foot. Some city retail analysts were concerned by the store closure, and hoped Herberger's, a mid-priced department store chain that Saks owned at the time, would occupy the portion unused by the clearance store.

2010s

Gaviidae Common gained and lost many stores throughout the 2010s. Several stores to lease space during the decade included Aveda Lifestyle, Jos. A. Bank, St. Croix, and a gift shop named Presence. In 2014, the mall installed digital banners around the second story atrium spaces, which displayed the time, news, and information about the tenants to mall-goers, as part of a "digital signage makeover". After Radio Shack filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in February 2015, their 2,666-square-foot (250 m²) Gaviidae Common location was placed on their list of potential store closures, before officially closing the following month. Downtown Minneapolis' YMCA campus, located inside the nearby LaSalle Plaza building, announced it would relocate to Gaviidae Common in 2016. In July of that year, the city approved plans that would allow the organization to takeover a 105,000-square-foot (9,800 m²) space within the mall, including part of the top two floors of the former Saks Fifth Avenue store, for an estimated US$15 million.

The R.F. Moeller Jewelers location, which relocated from Gaviidae Common II in July 2013, announced they would close their store by the end of 2019.

2020s

The lower level of Gaviidae Common's Walgreens wing in 2021.

Several clothing retailers opened in the mall beginning in 2021, including Noire House & Company and Uniquely Global, which specializes in women's wear and international goods, respectively. Following the opening of the latter store, Carlos Santana visited the mall for a shopping trip. Indulge & Bloom and Kisa Boutique also reopened their Gaviidae Common locations, both of which were closed indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the closing of nearby Marshalls and Saks Off 5th stores downtown, owner Calgar Kisa was interviewed regarding being one of the few clothing retailers in the city, and suggested that more housing was needed to accommodate a successful retail environment. United Properties began moving out of their Gaviidae Common offices in mid 2023, and eventually sold their 26,703-square-foot (2,500 m²) fourth floor space to Zuru, a toy manufacturing company associated with Target, in August of that year. United Properties' sale was the second large transaction that month for the group in Minneapolis, whose market was experiencing high office and retail vacancies. To address the closures of several prominent downtown retailers and decreasing occupancy rates of skyway level tenants, including several within the mall, Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey established a task force named the Vibrant Downtown Storefronts Workgroup.

Architecture

Gaviidae Common (center) contains the largest barrel-vaulted ceiling in Minnesota.

Gaviidae Common I was designed by Argentine American architect César Pelli's Pelli Clark Pelli firm. It serves as Pelli's second of three buildings in Minneapolis, preceded by the adjoined Wells Fargo Center and before the Minneapolis Central Library. Robin Keyworth, Vice President of BCE Development Properties at the time, hoped that the architecture of the structure would prove attractive to mall-goers. In total, Gaviidae Common consists of 319,000 square feet (30,000 m²) and sits atop a 2.5 story underground parking ramp.

Exterior

The exterior entrance to the former Saks Fifth Avenue store contains a "distinctive, five story semi-circular corner" in a warm beige color with glass elements, similar to Pelli's neighboring work at Wells Fargo Center.

The mall is adjoined to three skyways within the Minneapolis Skyway System, connecting Gaviidae Common to 60 South Sixth, City Center, and IDS Center. In 1991, a fourth floor skyway connection to Gaviidae Common II across 6th Street, was constructed, becoming the city's first and only skyway above the second floor. The decision was controversial within Minneapolis, with some developers noting concern that it violated a citywide policy in skyway design. However, the addition was approved in hopes that it would improve circulation between the mall's two phases and address any financial losses to the property. It also located one block south of the Nicollet Mall station servicing the Metro Blue Line and Green Line.

Interior

According to Pelli, he initially envisioned a detailed, "more intricate design" for Gaviidae Common, but ultimately did not find it suitable for Nicollet Mall; he commented: "The design needed to be bolder [...] I like very much the double play of the jagged silhouette, superimposed with gold. The gold changes with the light but holds it together and gives it architectural form." The center retail atrium is five-stories tall and is supported by dark blue, exposed structural steel, determined by its column grid pattern. It features a "celestial design [that] is a graphic representation of Minnesota's Northern sky" and houses the state's largest barrel-vaulted ceiling, and was hand-painted in two shades of blue, featuring approximately 2,500 sheets of gold leaf and 400 gallons of paint, to provide a starry sky illusion. Pelli said his intention was to "have a vaultlike ceiling to make it look like a grand hall", opposing the trend of simple skylights. Other interior architectural elements include a glass brick staircase at its Nicollet Mall entrance, patterned marble floors, and custom sketched ceilings.

The fifth floor once housed a water feature that delivered water in a stream to the street level and also featured a bronze, flying loon sculpture. The 600 lb (270 kg) sculpture was designed by artists Deborah Sussman and Paul Prejza; loons belong to the family Gaviidae, hence the shopping center's namesake. The structure initially featured public restrooms on its top two floors, in addition to a gathering space with seating on the fifth floor.

The interior of the former Saks Fifth Avenue department store was designed to cater to the demographics of Minneapolis-area residents. Walker Group/CNI served as the store's interior designers. The Saks color palette consisted of beiges and gray, and implemented bleached wood veneer walls and vaulted ceilings throughout its departments. Among its specialty departments included designer salons, such as a Chanel boutique, a 5th Avenue Club personal shopper service, and a Café Saks Fifth Avenue restaurant. The salons frequently housed trunk collections, fashion shows, and designer appearances.

Reception

Gaviidae Common attracted large crowds during its opening week, with over 100,000 people visiting the Saks Fifth Avenue store within its first five days. Representatives from Burberry, Icing, Pendleton, and Saks Fifth Avenue all reported higher-than-expected foot traffic for their new locations.

IDS Center

The office and hotel towers sit atop the Crystal Court, a three-story retail atrium that once housed several department stores, such as Woolworth, TJ Maxx, and Nordstrom Rack, in addition to restaurants and banks.

Crystal Court

Crystal Court

Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Address	80 8th Street South
No. of stores and services	approx. 30
No. of anchor tenants	1
Total retail floor area
No. of floors	3
Parking	X-story parking ramp with XXX spaces

Retail history

In June 1992, TGI Fridays announced plans to open up a Minneapolis location inside Crystal Court.

Eateries like Au Bon Pain, Così, Sola Squeeze, and Yogurt Lab once had Crystal Court locations.

In the 2020s, Crystal Court experienced several storefront losses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both Banana Republic and GopherMods, an electronics repair shop, closed their spaces in 2021. The former store had previously announced plans to pull out of shopping malls and focus on online retailing and standalone locations. On June 22, 2022, Cardigan Donuts opened their second location on the second floor of Crystal Court, in a 650 square feet (60 m²) storefront that formerly housed the regional frozen yogurt chain Yogurt Lab. It was initially slated to open earlier in the year, according to its press release.

LaSalle Plaza

LaSalle Plaza is a 30-story office skyscraper located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on LaSalle Avenue, between 8th and 9th Streets.

Mayo Clinic Square

Mayo Clinic Square (formerly Block E) is a mixed-use space located in Downtown West, Minneapolis between First and Hennepin Avenues, and 6th and 7th Streets. It contains a two-story retail and office space atrium, and the 22-story Loews Minneapolis hotel.

Northstar Center

Northstar Center is a mixed-use development located in Downtown West, Minneapolis between Marquette and Second Avenues, and 6th and 7th Streets. Currently, the complex consists of two office towers, a two-story retail atrium named Star Court, and a 17-story Hotel Indigo atop a parking garage. Through the Minneapolis Skyway System, it is directly connected to Baker Center, Capella Tower, and Six Quebec.

2010s

Eddington's, a deli chain with a history of locations within the Minneapolis Skyway System from 1981 until 2017, relaunched their brand in Northstar Center with a restaurant opening in October 2019.

Park and Shop Ramp

Park and Shop Ramp
The northern facade of the Park and Shop Ramp in August 2023
Former names	Dayton Radisson Ramp
General information
Type	Parking and retail
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Address	27 7th Street South and 24 8th Street South
Coordinates	44°58′36″N 93°16′31″W
Opened	September 3, 1959
Owner	601W Companies
Management	Columbus Corporation
Technical details
Floor count	9
Floor area
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Larson and McLaren
Developer	Eighth Street Development Corporation
Structural engineer	Enco Engineering
Main contractor	Kraus-Anderson, Inc.

The Park and Shop Ramp (originally the Dayton Radisson Ramp) is a parking garage located in Downtown West, Minneapolis between 7th and 8th Streets. It is adjoined to the Dayton's flagship store and PwC Plaza, and primarily supports the users of those two structures, in addition to Target Center and businesses along Hennepin Avenue. The parking ramp was announced in June 1958, along with the news of demolition for several buildings in its proposed space, and ultimately opened in September 1959. It expanded in 1963, adding another tier of parking and an exhibition hall for the Dayton's store. In total, the structure features 9 stories with 910 parking spaces and a spiral ramp tower in its center, connecting two sides of the ramp. Its alternating level design was the first garage of its kind in the United States.

The first floor of the Park and Shop Ramp contains commercial spaces and a retail corridor, referred to as the Arcade Shops. Stores throughout its existence have included local eateries and chains such as Candyland, Foot Locker, and Haskell's.

Site

The Dayton Radisson Ramp originated as an alternative to the existing Radisson Ramp, that served automobiles along 7th Street in Minneapolis, primarily the customers of the adjacent Dayton's department store and the original Radisson Hotel to the east. The former Radisson Ramp was located in between Minneapolis' Nankin Cafe restaurant and the Radisson Hotel. In order to facilitate the Dayton Radisson Ramp project, the original Nankin Cafe and three surrounding structures used as storage facilities for Dayton's would need to be demolished. The Radisson Ramp was also removed to make way for its successor.

Architecture

In June 1958, Dayton's then-president Donald C. Dayton formally announced the construction of the Dayton Radisson Ramp, a multi-tiered parking structure to provide additional and upgraded parking facilities for customers of the Dayton's flagship store and Radisson hotel in Downtown West, Minneapolis. Kraus-Anderson, Inc. served as the general contractor for the project, whose bid for the project was approximately US $1.8 million. Larson and McLaren, a Minneapolis-based architecture firm, designed a plan that featured two, sloped parking decks connected via a spiral tower system, unlike the modern design of horizontal parking decks connected by diagonal ramps at their starts. This allowed for exiting cars to never cross paths for entering cars due to its alternating levels, and was described as a "two-in-one" and "the simplest, most convenient, self-parking ramp" by Dayton's to the public. It was the first parking structure in the United States to feature this design. Other elements of the structure include a lobby with three elevators and a two-story underground delivery and loading facilities for Dayton's. The structure contains 140 feet of street level frontage on 7th Street and 174 feet on 8th Street.

The 7th Street entrance to the Arcade Shops corridor in 2023, and the adjacent Candyland store.

At the time of its completion, it was the second largest parking ramp capacity in the city. It featured six levels of parking with 750 spaces. It also features an exterior envelope consisting of vertically-arranged porcelainized metal, and the central ramp tower resembles circular-shaped staircases. Designers of the facilities intentionally laid out the parking ramp with the hope that the adjacent structures to the west would one day become vacant, and the developer could obtain property rights to construct an additional exit. The ramp was made mostly of reinforced concrete, and allowed for a future expansion of up to two more floors. Additionally, the layout was intentionally designed to contain zero interior pillars, removing the possibility for cars to back into concrete posts.

1963 expansion

In 1963, Dayton's announced an expansion project would occur to the Dayton Radisson Ramp, adding another parking tier atop the building with 160 more spaces, and a 17,500-square-foot (1,600 m²) exhibition hall for the store's events and fashion shows. Returning to the site for the project were the original engineering firm, Enco Engineering, and the general contractor Kraus-Anderson, Incorporated.

Through the building's interior entrances, it is connected to the Minneapolis Skyway System.

Reception

Given the ramp's proximity to Dayton's and the Radisson Hotel, it largely relied on their customer bases to fulfill parking spaces. During Dayton's existence, the ramp was especially crowded during sales and holiday events, while in modern times the ramp has been negatively impacted due to nearby office tower vacancies. During the city's annual Holidazzle Parade, the ramp was referred to as the most difficult to find an available space. Due to the overall size of the basement receiving area, Twin Cities Business Magazine's Burl Gilyard has referred to the ramp as "something of a period piece".

History

The center atrium of Arcade Shops at the entrance to the former Dayton's store, directly underneath the ramp's spiral tower.

The new parking structure officially opened on September 3, 1959, bringing new interior entrances to Dayton's, the Radisson Hotel, and its retail atrium, Arcade Shops. Print advertisements for Dayton's boasted that its customers could leave their houses and enter the store through the new garage without stepping foot outside, and that all parking spaces were within 170 feet of the elevator lobby of the store. It operated under lease from the Eighth Street Development Corporation, a subsidiary of Dayton's, led by president M. J. Sanders. 601W Companies own the majority of the structure and ramp, with Sanders owning some of the land it was built on. The ownership deal remained in place during the transition of the Dayton's department store into Macy's, and its eventual closure in 2017, with Sanders' Columbus Corporation serving as the ramp's operator.

The Arcade Shops contains approximately 12,000 square feet (1,100 m²) of retail space on each end of 7th and 8th Streets. The first tenants announced as part of the corridor were Haskell's Liquor, the Finger Tip Beauty Salon, and a maternity store named Shirley's, who all signed their leases in May 1959. The Arcade Shops hosted a grand opening event on December 3, 1959, where nine tenants debuted to the public. Among the stores were the Brother's Deli, Hal's Sportswear, Lee's Candies, and a pharmacy, with all participating in a drawing that would gift one customer a new Ford Falcon automobile during their opening week. Miss Downtown Phyllis Kirk awarded the car to a Minneapolis resident later that weekend.

In 1967, the structure's Seventh Street entrance was temporarily blocked due to construction occurring on the nearby Nicollet Mall, resulting in Dayton's developing advertisements to explain possible detours. In a 1977 Minneapolis Star article, columnist Barbara Flanagan argued that the ramp's entrance location resulted in significant traffic on the corner of 7th Street and Nicollet Mall, and suggested that additional signage be posted to prevent confusion amongst drivers.

The northern Arcade Shops corridor in 2018, approaching the entrance to the former Dayton's store.

In the 1980s, a sidewalk cafe named Center City Cafe operated at the Dayton Radisson Ramp. During that same decade, some residents believed the ramp's rates were too expensive, beginning at US $1.90 for one hour of parking. In reaction, Dayton's and the adjacent City Center shopping mall considered offering parking validation to customers, with the former's general manager remarking: "Up until now, we just haven't considered validating parking. The issue has surfaced and it would be smart for us took at it. I think many retailers in downtown Minneapolis will consider such a system in the next year."

In December 2012, two storefronts formerly leased by a jewelry store and a bakery were combined to form a nail salon named Nail Cops. The tenant is operated by the family of restauranteur Thom Pham, who oversees several neighboring restaurants. In 2017, the adjoining Macy's store permanently closed, decreasing daily traffic at the Park and Shop Ramp. Following the transition of the store into a mixed-use development named the Dayton's Project, the tenants of the Arcade Shops were sometimes marketed as apart of the new project, in addition to some of them being shown as converted into locker rooms and bike storage for office tenants. As a result of the 2020 Minneapolis false rumors riot, the Park and Shop Ramp's Foot Locker store was severely looted. The riot, which was covered in-depth by local publications, also involved an incident where a 26-year-old man burglarized the store, and was later the subject of a lawsuit involving excessive force towards the man by a Minneapolis police officer. In the 2020s, retailers leasing space at Arcade Shops were Nail Cops and the city's last remaining Candyland location.

See also

• Dayton's
• PwC Plaza

External links

• Official website

PwC Plaza

PwC Plaza (formerly Plaza VII) is a 36-story office skyscraper located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on 7th Street. It is adjoined to the Dayton's flagship store, and was built on the site of the former flagship Radisson Hotel.

History

The Radisson Plaza Hotel, which occupied the first 17 floors of the structure, opened to the public on March 1, 1987, although a February grand opening was initially planned.

Architecture

Opening as the Radisson Plaza Minneapolis, the hotel originally contained a 17-story atrium that was open to all guest room floors. Above the 17th floor, the structure's facade transitions from patterned granite and precast concrete panels to blue-tinted glass panels, and ends with a pink pediment. Linda Mack from Star Tribune dismissed the building's appearance, writing that the hotel's front facade looks more "like a backside".

Rand Tower Hotel

The Rand Tower Hotel is a 26-story hotel located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Marquette Avenue and 6th Street.

History

Until 2013, a Caribou Coffee outlet operated on the second floor.

Six Quebec

Six Quebec
General information
Type	Residential condominiums
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Address	601 Marquette Avenue South
Technical details
Floor area

Target flagship store

Target flagship store
General information
Location	900–950 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Coordinates	44°58′29″N 93°16′29″W
Opened	October 10, 2001
Owner	Target Corporation
Website
www.target.com

The Target flagship store is a department store located in Downtown West, Minneapolis between LaSalle Avenue and Nicollet Mall, and 9th and 10th Streets. Since its completion in 2001, the location at 900 Nicollet has served as the flagship store for the Target Corporation. It is surrounded by retailers on the first two floors, and is adjoined to a 12-story office tower that occupies the southern half of the structure, 950 Nicollet.

Site

The use of the site as either an urban-scale Target or Walmart anchor store was first discussed as early as 1996.

History

900 Nicollet

2000s

The store opened on October 10, 2001.

Wells Fargo Center (Minneapolis)

Wells Fargo Center (formerly Norwest Center) is a 57-story office skyscraper located in Downtown West, Minneapolis on Marquette Avenue, between 6th and 7th Streets.

Wells Fargo Operations Center

Wells Fargo Operations Center
The northwestern corner of the Wells Fargo Operations Center in 2023
Former names	Northwestern National Bank Operations Center
Alternative names	Norwest Operations Center
General information
Type	Office
Location	Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Address	255 2nd Avenue South
Coordinates	44°58′48″N 93°15′57″W
Opened	1980
Owner	Sherman Associates
Technical details
Floor count	4
Floor area	561,000 sq ft (52,100 m2)
Design and construction
Architecture firm	Peterson, Clark & Associates

The Wells Fargo Operations Center (originally the Northwestern National Bank Operations Center) is a 4-story office building located in Downtown West, Minneapolis between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, and Washington Avenue and 3rd Street. From 1980 to 2022 its main plaza housed Inner Search by American sculptor Mark di Suvero.

In 2022, developer Sherman Associates acquired the Wells Fargo Operations Center and announced plans to demolish the building and replace it with a residential and mixed-use development named Harmonia.

Site

The Wells Fargo Operations Center occupies an entire city block in Downtown West, Minneapolis, surrounded by 2nd and 3rd Avenues, between Washington Avenue and 3rd Street. It was one of six large-scale development projects constructed in downtown Minneapolis' Gateway District in the late 1970s.

During the building's tenure, it once housed a large sculpture named Inner Search, created by artist Mark di Suvero. The sculpture was housed within the site's southwestern 33,000-square-foot (3,100 m²) outdoor plaza. It was installed at the property's southwestern corner in 1980, originally painted yellow, and served as the city's largest sculpture at the time. When the bank's ownership transferred to Wells Fargo, the sculpture became red. It was later removed from the property in August 2022, and transported to an unnamed Wells Fargo-owned storage facility.

Demolition

See also: Harmonia (Minneapolis)

In August 2022, Minneapolis developer Sherman Associates purchased the Wells Fargo Operations Center for approximately US $6.4 million. It served as one of three Wells Fargo-affiliated office buildings in downtown Minneapolis, with the others being Wells Fargo Center and the twin Wells Fargo Downtown East Campus towers. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wells Fargo began consolidating their employees at the Operations Center into their remaining Minneapolis and Shoreview office locations in July 2021. The structure became vacant, and represented nearly 10% of all vacant office space in downtown Minneapolis. Sherman Associates did not initially reveal their intentions for the site following its sale, and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reported that no construction permits had been filed for redevelopment. The next month, the group confirmed plans to demolish the Operations Center and replace it with a development consisting of two apartment towers and a mixed-use structure, tentatively called Harmonia. Sherman Associates planned to save the existing underground parking structure, repurposing its foundation walls to house nearly 1,000 cars. The Star Tribune's James Lileks found that with the Harmonia project, the new structures would add "density and height" to the site.

Architecture

Via its second floor, the structure is located within the Minneapolis Skyway System, connecting to the Crossings condominium complex to the west, and the Brixx Building and Cortland Mill District to the east.

The three-story underground parking ramp reaches the curb lines of all four sides of the site.

The project architect was Peterson, Clark & Associates.

Reception

Bernard Jacob from the Minneapolis Tribune compared the shape of the building to that of a lozenge.

Following news of the building's demolition, Lileks noted that its "four-story diagonal nonentity" design was praised following its inception in 1979, following a trend of blue-cladded mirror office towers in Minneapolis like the IDS Center and PwC Plaza, but found its appearance to become less memorable over time, writing: "no one need lament the end of the Wells Fargo Operations Center, unless you were used to stopping now and then and checking to see if your hair looked good or your tie was straight. For that, the building was great."

History

The project's construction estimate was at US $26 million.

Primarily, the Northwestern National Bank Operations Center included the main facilities for the company's data processing. It also housed the bank's third backup computer, as part of an effort to introduce central computers at their locations. The building has also been referred to as the Norwest Operations Center.

Young Quinlan flagship store

References

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