Brookdale Center
Encyclopedia
Brookdale Center was a regional shopping mall
in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
, which opened in 1962. It became the third mall in the Twin Cities, after Southdale Center
and Apache Plaza
. After a long decline, the mall closed in 2010
in nearby Edina, Minnesota
in 1956, Dayton's
set their eyes to the immediate northwest Minneapolis suburb
of Brooklyn Center, which had also experienced immense growth in the immediate post-war
years. The mall was seen as best suited to the area as to not compete with Knollwood Mall
, constructed in 1955 in St. Louis Park, or Apache Plaza
, constructed in 1961 in the northeast Minneapolis suburb of St. Anthony.
As they had done at Southdale Center
, Donaldson's
, Dayton's
chief downtown competitor, bought land conjoined to the mall
complex so they would own the land underneath their store while still being part of the mall
. A site was chosen at the intersection of Minnesota State Highway 100
and Minnesota State Highway 152
, both busy roads prior to the construction of the Interstate Highways in the Twin Cities area.
Aside from Dayton's and Donaldson's, the mall's original anchors were Sears, J.C. Penney
(originally a dry goods only format) and Woolworth
. New Dayton's
and Donaldson's
stores were added when the mall was expanded in 1966–1967. J.C. Penney
was enlarged to a full-line store at this time.
The most recent renovation at Brookdale involved the demolition of the northwest corner of the structure. It was rebuilt with a Barnes and Noble, AJ Lomax Famous Labels and Food Court. This expansion was completed in 2004.
did brisk business after its opening in 1962. Although its customers were not quite as affluent as the people of Edina, Brookdale Center drew from a large area of the north metro. As Interstate 94
and Interstate 694
were constructed nearby the flow of traffic increased. This brought with it homes, people, and shopping. Several of the major construction projects of the 1960s was the addition of the Pillsbury chain Steak & Ale, as well as a Howard Johnson's
restaurant, along with many other businesses and homes.
were constructed within the mall's original turf. Northtown Mall
, built in 1972 in Blaine
was one of the first. The Baby Boomer
population of Brooklyn Center also had grown up and moved away from home, leaving their middle aged parents behind. During these years, the mall
continued to do well, but the area began to gradually change.
The mall did not lose an anchor until 2004 with the closing of Mervyn's which came when Target Corporation
sold off its department store branch to May Companies. The early 2005 closing of JCPenney was a direct result of a new open air mall store built in nearby Maple Grove
. The former JCPenney slot was replaced with Steve & Barry's
, although Mervyn's remained vacant. The mall underwent a mild remodeling, including a new food court. However, Brookdale Center was still one of the most original old malls in the Twin Cities area. The former Dayton's
(later Macy's
) and Sears remained original to the mall, and both stores received some updates.
Steve & Barry's closed its Brookdale store in the fall of 2008 shortly before announcing intentions to close all stores by early 2009 due to bankruptcy liquidation. Adding to Brookdale's problems, Macy's announced on January 8, 2009 that it was closing its Brookdale location. In April, Barnes & Noble announced it would close its Brookdale store effective June 13, 2009, citing the recent closures of the other anchors as the primary reason for the store's poor sales performance. Sears became Brookdale Center's only remaining anchor store, and the mall's vacancy rate reached over 50 percent, the highest of any Twin Cities-area shopping center.
reported that Brookdale would close at end of the business day. Owner Jim Schlesinger still owed $52 million on the $54 million loan, and the center was sold in a sheriff's foreclosure auction to Capmark Financial Group Inc. in Horsham, Pa.
The Sears store remained open as they owned the land upon which the store was sited. The Kohl's
store, which is detached from the main mall building, remained open under similar circumstances.
The closing was also due to a surge in gang activity and shoplifting at the mall. Stores were unable to keep up with losses due to theft and families started to stay away from the mall due to fears that something would happen to them while at the mall. The entire area has become deserted by most major stores.
Then, on October 15, 2010, plans were announced by Gatlin Development Co. Inc., a Tennessee based firm, to acquire the Brookdale Shopping Center and in conjunction with the city of Brooklyn Center to transform the mostly-vacant mall into a new shopping center anchored by a Walmart Supercenter. The announcement included the following plans:
The "Shingle Creek Crossing" announcement came as the city of Brooklyn Center was finishing a Bass Lake Road two million dollar re-landscaping project funded by federal stimulus money. The Bass Lake Road project was part of an overall plan to revitalize and renew the city. As the landscape project was underway, an Embassy Suites hotel opened nearby and ground was broken on a new Federal Bureau of Investigation
office complex to the north of Brookdale Center across Interstate I-94. The Three Rivers Park District
, operated by Hennepin County, also expressed interest in closing small gaps between trail systems in the area, a move aimed at increasing recreational traffic. The plans for new trails included a stretch next to Shingle Creek with the proposed excavation.
In an interview with the Star Tribune
, Steven Lillehaug, Brooklyn Center's director of public works said, "We want to do everything we can on the city's end to help revitalize this area and to put this infrastructure in place to make this a real, ideal location for businesses to come and make their home."
Demolition plans were also delayed as plans for the construction of the new Shingle Creek Crossing were adjusted and finalized. The revised plans added approximately 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²) to the Walmart store, bringing the total to 182,000. The revised plan also includes two more restaurant pads than the original plan and eliminates two multiple-tenant buildings.
On Friday, August 5th of 2011, demolition of Brookdale Mall began.
, Rosedale Center
, and Ridgedale Center
.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
As of the census of 2010, there were 30,104 residents in Brooklyn Center. The racial makeup of the city was 49% White, 26% African American, 1% Native American, 14% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 5% from other races, and 4% from two or more races...
, which opened in 1962. It became the third mall in the Twin Cities, after Southdale Center
Southdale Center
Southdale Center, commonly known as just Southdale, is a shopping mall in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, which opened in 1956. It is the United States' oldest fully enclosed, climate-controlled mall...
and Apache Plaza
Apache Plaza
Apache Plaza was a former shopping center, located in St. Anthony, Minnesota, a small suburb of Minneapolis. It opened in 1961 as one of the first enclosed shopping centers in the US, and closed in 2004.-Early history:...
. After a long decline, the mall closed in 2010
History
After the success of Southdale CenterSouthdale Center
Southdale Center, commonly known as just Southdale, is a shopping mall in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, which opened in 1956. It is the United States' oldest fully enclosed, climate-controlled mall...
in nearby Edina, Minnesota
Edina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
in 1956, Dayton's
Dayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
set their eyes to the immediate northwest Minneapolis suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Brooklyn Center, which had also experienced immense growth in the immediate post-war
Post-war
A post-war period or postwar period is the interval immediately following the ending of a war and enduring as long as war does not resume. A post-war period can become an interwar period or interbellum when a war between the same parties resumes at a later date...
years. The mall was seen as best suited to the area as to not compete with Knollwood Mall
Knollwood Mall
Knollwood Mall is a regional shopping mall located along MN 7 in Saint Louis Park, Minnesota. Major stores at the mall include Kohl's, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, DSW Shoe Warehouse and Cub Foods. Knollwood Mall is managed by General Growth Properties.-History:...
, constructed in 1955 in St. Louis Park, or Apache Plaza
Apache Plaza
Apache Plaza was a former shopping center, located in St. Anthony, Minnesota, a small suburb of Minneapolis. It opened in 1961 as one of the first enclosed shopping centers in the US, and closed in 2004.-Early history:...
, constructed in 1961 in the northeast Minneapolis suburb of St. Anthony.
As they had done at Southdale Center
Southdale Center
Southdale Center, commonly known as just Southdale, is a shopping mall in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, which opened in 1956. It is the United States' oldest fully enclosed, climate-controlled mall...
, Donaldson's
Donaldson's
Donaldson's, also known as The L. S. Donaldson Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota is a defunct department store company.-History:The L. S. Donaldson Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1883 by Scottish Immigrants. Built in 1884, the building was known as "The Glass Block" because of its...
, Dayton's
Dayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
chief downtown competitor, bought land conjoined to the mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
complex so they would own the land underneath their store while still being part of the mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
. A site was chosen at the intersection of Minnesota State Highway 100
Minnesota State Highway 100
Minnesota State Highway 100 is a state highway in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, which runs from its interchange with Interstate 494 in Bloomington and continues north to its northern terminus at its interchange with I-694 in Brooklyn Center...
and Minnesota State Highway 152
Minnesota State Highway 152
Minnesota State Highway 152 was a highway in Minnesota, connecting the cities of St. Cloud and Minneapolis. It ran parallel to U.S. Route 52 and its route number derives from this. It originally began at U.S. 52 in St. Cloud and ran to U.S. 52 in Minneapolis, at the intersection of Washington...
, both busy roads prior to the construction of the Interstate Highways in the Twin Cities area.
Aside from Dayton's and Donaldson's, the mall's original anchors were Sears, J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
(originally a dry goods only format) and Woolworth
F. W. Woolworth Company
The F. W. Woolworth Company was a retail company that was one of the original American five-and-dime stores. The first successful Woolworth store was opened on July 18, 1879 by Frank Winfield Woolworth in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, as "Woolworth's Great Five Cent Store"...
. New Dayton's
Dayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
and Donaldson's
Donaldson's
Donaldson's, also known as The L. S. Donaldson Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota is a defunct department store company.-History:The L. S. Donaldson Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota, was founded in 1883 by Scottish Immigrants. Built in 1884, the building was known as "The Glass Block" because of its...
stores were added when the mall was expanded in 1966–1967. J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
was enlarged to a full-line store at this time.
The most recent renovation at Brookdale involved the demolition of the northwest corner of the structure. It was rebuilt with a Barnes and Noble, AJ Lomax Famous Labels and Food Court. This expansion was completed in 2004.
Early years
The mallShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
did brisk business after its opening in 1962. Although its customers were not quite as affluent as the people of Edina, Brookdale Center drew from a large area of the north metro. As Interstate 94
Interstate 94
Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S...
and Interstate 694
Interstate 694
Interstate 694 is an east–west auxiliary Interstate Highway located in the Minneapolis – Saint Paul metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The western terminus of the route is at its junction with Interstate 94 and Interstate 494 in Maple Grove...
were constructed nearby the flow of traffic increased. This brought with it homes, people, and shopping. Several of the major construction projects of the 1960s was the addition of the Pillsbury chain Steak & Ale, as well as a Howard Johnson's
Howard Johnson's
Howard Johnson's is a chain of hotels and restaurants, located primarily throughout the United States and Canada. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Howard Johnson's was the largest restaurant chain in the United States, with over 1,000 restaurants...
restaurant, along with many other businesses and homes.
Middle years
By the mid 1970s, Brookdale began to change, as newer mallsShopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
were constructed within the mall's original turf. Northtown Mall
Northtown Mall (Blaine, Minnesota)
Northtown Mall is a shopping mall located in Blaine, Minnesota, United States. Currently, the mall features Herberger's, Best Buy, The Home Depot and Burlington Coat Factory as anchors. In addition, Northtown Mall features over 100 stores and restaurants, as well as a food court...
, built in 1972 in Blaine
Blaine, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,942 people, 15,898 households, and 12,177 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,330 people per square mile . There are 16,169 housing units at an average density of 477.6 per square mile...
was one of the first. The Baby Boomer
Baby boomer
A baby boomer is a person who was born during the demographic Post-World War II baby boom and who grew up during the period between 1946 and 1964. The term "baby boomer" is sometimes used in a cultural context. Therefore, it is impossible to achieve broad consensus of a precise definition, even...
population of Brooklyn Center also had grown up and moved away from home, leaving their middle aged parents behind. During these years, the mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
continued to do well, but the area began to gradually change.
Later years
By the 1990s, Brooklyn Center had changed a great deal. The ranch homes bought inexpensively by thousands of returning GIs and their young wives were slowly being sold as they aged. Replacing them were people of lower socioeconomic status than the departing original middle-class inhabitants. Unlike Edina, which had featured more expensive construction from the early post-war years, Brooklyn Center had homes that were decidedly middle-class. Brookdale began to lose surrounding businesses. The 2010 census revealed that Brooklyn Center had become the first Twin Cities community to have a minority of white residents. Whites constitute just 49% of the population of the city, down from 71% in the year 2000. Over time, crime rates in the city increased and Brookdale became unsafe for families due to gang and drug activity.The mall did not lose an anchor until 2004 with the closing of Mervyn's which came when Target Corporation
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
sold off its department store branch to May Companies. The early 2005 closing of JCPenney was a direct result of a new open air mall store built in nearby Maple Grove
Maple Grove, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 50,365 people , 17,532 households, and 13,955 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,532.3 people per square mile . There were 17,745 housing units at an average density of 539.9 per square mile...
. The former JCPenney slot was replaced with Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's
Steve & Barry's was an American retail clothing chain, featuring casual apparel. By mid-2008, the chain operated 276 stores in 39 states. The company was headquartered in Port Washington, New York. The company liquidated all of its stores throughout 2008....
, although Mervyn's remained vacant. The mall underwent a mild remodeling, including a new food court. However, Brookdale Center was still one of the most original old malls in the Twin Cities area. The former Dayton's
Dayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
(later Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
) and Sears remained original to the mall, and both stores received some updates.
Steve & Barry's closed its Brookdale store in the fall of 2008 shortly before announcing intentions to close all stores by early 2009 due to bankruptcy liquidation. Adding to Brookdale's problems, Macy's announced on January 8, 2009 that it was closing its Brookdale location. In April, Barnes & Noble announced it would close its Brookdale store effective June 13, 2009, citing the recent closures of the other anchors as the primary reason for the store's poor sales performance. Sears became Brookdale Center's only remaining anchor store, and the mall's vacancy rate reached over 50 percent, the highest of any Twin Cities-area shopping center.
Closing of Brookdale
On April 26, 2010, local newspaper Star TribuneStar Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
reported that Brookdale would close at end of the business day. Owner Jim Schlesinger still owed $52 million on the $54 million loan, and the center was sold in a sheriff's foreclosure auction to Capmark Financial Group Inc. in Horsham, Pa.
The Sears store remained open as they owned the land upon which the store was sited. The Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
store, which is detached from the main mall building, remained open under similar circumstances.
The closing was also due to a surge in gang activity and shoplifting at the mall. Stores were unable to keep up with losses due to theft and families started to stay away from the mall due to fears that something would happen to them while at the mall. The entire area has become deserted by most major stores.
Redevelopment of Brookdale Center and the surrounding area
Multiple redevelopment plans for the failed mall were suggested and attempted.Then, on October 15, 2010, plans were announced by Gatlin Development Co. Inc., a Tennessee based firm, to acquire the Brookdale Shopping Center and in conjunction with the city of Brooklyn Center to transform the mostly-vacant mall into a new shopping center anchored by a Walmart Supercenter. The announcement included the following plans:
- Rename the center "Shingle Creek Crossing"
- Tear down most of the existing structure, but leave the recently constructed food court in place
- Build a 150000 square feet (13,935.5 m²) Wal-Mart Supercenter which would include a grocery store
- Build or redevelop an additional 435000 square feet (40,412.8 m²) of leasable retail space
- Add eight restaurant pad sites and two multiple-tenant retail or service buildings.
- Create a green creekscape by resurrecting and excavation Shingle Creek, a stream that was buried in a subterranean culvert under the parking lot when the center was first constructed in the 1960s.
The "Shingle Creek Crossing" announcement came as the city of Brooklyn Center was finishing a Bass Lake Road two million dollar re-landscaping project funded by federal stimulus money. The Bass Lake Road project was part of an overall plan to revitalize and renew the city. As the landscape project was underway, an Embassy Suites hotel opened nearby and ground was broken on a new Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
office complex to the north of Brookdale Center across Interstate I-94. The Three Rivers Park District
Three Rivers Park District
Three Rivers Park District is a "special park district" serving the suburban areas of the Twin Cities metro including suburban Hennepin, Carver, Dakota, Scott and Ramsey counties...
, operated by Hennepin County, also expressed interest in closing small gaps between trail systems in the area, a move aimed at increasing recreational traffic. The plans for new trails included a stretch next to Shingle Creek with the proposed excavation.
In an interview with the Star Tribune
Star Tribune
The Star Tribune is the largest newspaper in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is published seven days each week in an edition for the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. A statewide version is also available across Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota. The...
, Steven Lillehaug, Brooklyn Center's director of public works said, "We want to do everything we can on the city's end to help revitalize this area and to put this infrastructure in place to make this a real, ideal location for businesses to come and make their home."
Demolition
Plans for the demolition of Brookdale Center by Gatlin Development Co. were delayed multiple times due to disputes between Gatlin and Sears, which maintains an open store and expressed concerns about access to their store during the demotion process.Demolition plans were also delayed as plans for the construction of the new Shingle Creek Crossing were adjusted and finalized. The revised plans added approximately 30000 square feet (2,787.1 m²) to the Walmart store, bringing the total to 182,000. The revised plan also includes two more restaurant pads than the original plan and eliminates two multiple-tenant buildings.
On Friday, August 5th of 2011, demolition of Brookdale Mall began.
The Dales
Brookdale Shopping Center was part of the four "Dale" centers circling the Twin Cities, originally developed by The Dayton Co. The others are Southdale CenterSouthdale Center
Southdale Center, commonly known as just Southdale, is a shopping mall in Edina, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis, which opened in 1956. It is the United States' oldest fully enclosed, climate-controlled mall...
, Rosedale Center
Rosedale Center
Rosedale Center, commonly known just as Rosedale, is a shopping center in Roseville, Minnesota. The mall is considered a regional powerhouse as a shopping destination; surrounded by suburbs and close to major highways, it serves a trade area population almost 2 million people, and boasts 12...
, and Ridgedale Center
Ridgedale Center
Ridgedale Center is a large regional shopping mall in Minnetonka, Minnesota a western suburb of the Twin Cities. Built in 1974, it is owned and operated by General Growth Properties and anchored by JCPenney, Macy's Women's and Childrens, Macy's Men's and Home, and Sears. Ridgedale Center was...
.