Southdale: Reinventing the Innovator

Editor's note: This is the second of a two-part series examining the current state of Southdale Center, while also looking ahead to a number of planned improvements at the iconic mall. Read .

Mayor Jim Hovland has watched over the years as business at has ebbed and flowed.

He always saw the mall as integral to Edina, though it wasn't always readily apparent the owners felt the same way. After a recent trip to Indianapolis to meet with Simon Property Group management, he said it's clear they are "paying attention to this property."

"I was really encouraged," Hovland said. "The architectural renderings I saw were just fantastic. They're planning some grand, grand improvements."

Rethinking the Mall Concept

The mall has had "ups and downs over the years," but the story is the same at almost every mall across the country, said Southdale Center General Manager Laurie VanDalen.

"As a whole, the mall concept has evolved," VanDalen said. "We're more of a community gathering place than a shopping center at this point. It's not just another building—we're an important part of the community."

When Herberger's announced plans to come into Southdale, VanDalen said it started the ball rolling in terms of revamping the mall.

Among the announced improvements at Southdale:

• A redesigned food court, which will be moved to the second floor JC Penney wing. The new court is set to include additional food vendors, new seating, skylights and new restrooms.
• A revamped mall entrance between and , including a new covered entrance, sliding doors and an indoor/outdoor children's play area.
• A new corridor near JC Penney on the first floor, designed to provide better access to stores and open up that side of the mall.

Simon Property Group plans to begin the renovations in January 2012.

Public Perception

While a massive remodeling project is coming next year, that doesn't necessarily mean customers have a positive impression of the mall as it stands.

Milwaukee resident Cynthia Dahlke ventured into Southdale earlier this week while spending time in the Twin Cities visting friends. Dahlke, who said she first visited the mall back in the 1960s, said she was "a little disappointed" with the current state of Southdale.

"It's a little industrial," Dahlke said. "It feels a bit like being under a freeway."

Dahlke said the architecture of the mall feels "dated" in today's world, noting she didn't see any stores on the ground floor of the mall that she wanted to shop at. She prefers the boutique offerings of locations like the Galleria and 50th & France.

Julie Bifano, of Minnetonka, echoed Dahlke's sentiments. Bifano said she doesn't think Southdale feels as modern as shopping centers like Ridgedale or Eden Prairie Center.

More concerning, she said, was that it doesn't seem to offer anything out of the ordinary in terms of selection.

"You see the same stores here you would see anywhere else," Bifano said. "It feels kind of plain compared to the Galleria."

Lindsey Kuhn, a St. Louis Park resident who works at Southdale's store, disagrees. Kuhn said business has always been consistent at the mall and said she's happy to see the amount of work planned at the mall, including the addition of Herberger's.

"It's encouraging," Kuhn said.

Bring Back the Birds?

A mall with as much history as Southdale Center has a variety of features over the years. VanDalen said one often-repeated request is reinstating the zoo it once housed.

"We had birds flying around and everything," she said. "There are actually a lot of people who say they want that back."

That's not likely to happen, VanDalen said, as entertaining as it might be. History is incredibly important in a mall like Southdale, though she said it's just as important to provide a product that offers features people are looking for now.

"Shopping malls today are more of an entertainment complex," she said. "People don't just come to shop—they go to movies, get something to eat and maybe do a little shopping while they're at it."

Online retail has in some ways affected the way people shop, though VanDalen doesn't believe it's a mutually exclusive relationship.

"People do order things online, but you never hear the other side of it—how much of it gets returned to physical stores," she said. "And I think you will always have people who want to see it, touch it and feel it before they buy."

Evolving for the Future

Hovland believes Herberger's will draw other quality tenants to the mall, though time will tell. Considering an estimated $12 million has gone into remodeling the Herberger's space, Hovland says he's encouraged for the first time in a while.

"Maybe we're on the way to getting Southdale cleaned up," he said.

He also sees possibilities outside of retail in the future for the property.

"Conceptually, I can see where apartments in that southeast corner of the property could work," he said. "It's an underused facility and I think that's a potential good use of it."

Southdale visitors skew slightly older than the typical 25-40 age range of shopping center demographic, though VanDalen believes the redevelopment plans will change that.

"I think things like the food court and the new entrance will bring back some of the people who aren't currently coming," she said. "We've thought carefully throughout this process to make sure what we're doing will fit the direction of our center. It's a matter of trying to figure out what's best from a business perspective, but also keeping that sense of community."