Brookdale Center

infobox shopping mall
shopping_mall_name = Brookdale Center


caption =
location = Brooklyn Center, USA
opening_date = 1962
developer = Dayton-Hudson Corporation
manager = Brooks Mall Properties
owner =
number_of_stores = 75
number_of_anchors = 4 total (1 vacant)
floor_area =
floors = 1
website = http://www.brookdaleshoppingcenter.com
parking =

Brookdale Center is a 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.

History

After the success of Southdale Center 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.

The mall's original anchors were Sears, J.C. Penney (originally a dry goods only format) and Woolworth. 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.

Today, Brookdale is known for its security department. They are in-mall managed and have more authority than other malls in the region. It is a breeding ground for several police departments in the state.Fact|date=September 2008

Early years

The mall 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.

Middle Years

By the mid 1970s, Brookdale began to change, as newer malls 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.

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. Brookdale hung on as businesses that had been there since the 1960s departed.

Brookdale, however, did not lose an anchor until 2004, with the closing of Mervyn's as a result of Target Corporation selling 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 being built in nearby Maple Grove. The former JCPenney slot has been replaced with Steve & Barry's, although Mervyn's is still vacant. Then the management did a mild remodel, including a new food court. However, Brookdale Center is still one of the most original old malls in the Twin Cities area. The former Dayton's (now Macy's) and Sears are original to the mall, but both stores have received some updates.

The previous owner of the mall, Jim Schlesinger, lost the mall due to non-payment of bills. His company Talisman Corporation was located in Coral Gables, Florida. He also lost the company to Taubman Companies.

The Dales

It is part of the four "Dale" shopping centers circling the Twin Cities, originally developed by The Dayton Co. The others are Southdale Center, Rosedale Center, and Ridgedale Center. Located at: 1108 Brookdale • Brooklyn Center, Minnesota

Anchors

*Barnes & Noble
*Macy's (195,368 sq ft.) (Opened 1962 as Dayton's. Converted to Marshall Fields in 2001, then Macy's in 2006)
*Sears (180,169 sq ft.)
*Steve & Barry's

Outlots

*Kohl's (75,000 sq ft.)

Former Anchors

JCPenney (opened in 1962, closed in 2005)

Donaldson's (opened in 1962, converted to Carson Pirie Scott in 1987, then Mervyn's in 1995. Closed in 2004. Vacant)

External links

* [http://www.brookdaleshoppingcenter.com Brookdale Center]
* [http://dumpystripmalls.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/brookdale-mall-brooklyn-center-mn/ Dumpy Strip Malls: Brookdale Center]

References

*SEC Report. 1996 Brookdale Appraisal
* http://www.secinfo.com/dsbzp.94e.c.htm#1stPage