Southdale Area - Edina

[min-chi-cbus]

IDK about that....many of my friends grew up in the Halifax area and area just north of Hwy. 62 and, at least in the 90's, that was still fairly middle class, and Southdale certainly wasn't beneath us. I think there's just too much retail too close to this area to support more of the same middle-market stuff -- the options cannibalize each other.

BUT, I haven't lived there in quite some time now, so maybe Edina just got too uppity for itself.

[twincitizen]

It's hard to say really. You're right that Edina is probably even wealthier today than it has been historically, relative to the rest of the metro. The plain jane ramblers and ranch houses in areas that kinda look like "Richerfield" now sell in the mid-upper 300s, or are being torn down and replaced with much more expensive houses.

In general I think there are just more options available. The Galleria, 50th and France, and MOA all carry the types of luxury stores that Southdale lacks. I don't think Southdale has one unique store that isn't available at the other regional malls. It's just too hemmed in by regional competition. Add in online shopping, the general decline of places like Macys, JCP, and department store shopping in general.

OTOH, Southdale's market area isn't just Edina, it's all of Richfield, SW Mpls, etc. Even if you live slightly closer to MOA, Southdale is a more appealing option due to ease of ingress, parking, lack of crowds of tourists, etc. - that is, assuming your store(s) of choice is at Southdale.

What would help Southdale? Well...first and foremost the Galleria not existing, assuming that instead those stores and traffic would be inside Southdale. But that obviously isn't in the cards.

I think it remains to be seen how Southdale's recent revival will play out. The first five years look pretty good on paper, with the nice renovations, the space nearly fully leased, all the surrounding development being proposed. Either all the new residents and hotel guests will keep it afloat for another generation....or they won't substantially increase foot traffic, and an exodus of retail stores will begin, and the mall won't recover from the vacancies. Maybe my vision of tearing down JCP and a bit of the adjacent part of the mall will play out after all, just 10 or 15 years from now. Or maybe in 20 years the whole thing will come down...

[nordeast homer]

JCP has been doing a slight remodel in the Southdale store over the last month and a half or so. They took up the carpet on ground floor and have honed and polished the concrete for a finished product. In this environment I think it actually cheapens the store even more than it was. I know honed and polished concrete have been trendy for a decade or so, but if it's not done right it just looks tacky. In this store they would have been better off staining the floor before they polished it.

[matthew5080]

I can't remember Southdale having decent foot traffic in my lifetime. Even Eden Prairie Center at its slowest times seems busier than Southdale at its average times... and then Ridgedale and Rosedale are just at completely different levels. Not sure about Burnsville Center though, as it's been ages since I was last there. The one thing I've always liked about Southdale over Ridgedale is that Southdale has better food options... or at least more of it.

Until the late 80's Southdale was the gold standard, it was always busy! It was the most successful of the "Dales" and never had vacancies, or at least not for very long. Now it reminds me of how Eden Prairie mall was in the 90's, where you could roll a bowling ball down any main corridor and never fear hitting a person. I hope they figure out a way to pump new life into this one, because the retailers will start fleeing before too long.

Yeah, I know that. My mother talks about how Southdale used to be. Like I said, in my lifetime Southdale has never been the "go to" mall. Eden Prairie Center is lucky to have the Target, AMC, Von Maur, and Barnes and Noble attached to it, because those are the only draws to it over other malls (from the conversations I've had with my neighbors and friends). Personally, I'll shop at Ridgedale before I'll go to Southdale or Eden Prairie Center.

[Anondson]

SunSailor has more info about the council discussion over the proposal going in the NW corner of York and 66th.

http://current.mnsun.com/2016/03/25/cou ... partments/

[twincitizen]

France Ave gas station to be replaced with new DJR-designed retail building with "national tenant"
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/b ... pment.html

[Anondson]

The France Ave guidelines are shit. Reasonable density my ass. Still, I wonder if they let this proposed retail space access from Sandell instead of from 70th. It would help the conflicts with people waiting for the light.

[mattaudio]

Edina cares about looks and not about form.

[Mdcastle]

Southdale has a bad layout and is close to the Mall of America and the Galleria so it's getting hit the hardest with the decline of regional malls in general. If you want to hang out Mall shopping MOA and Galleria are better. If you need a pair of socks easier to go to someplace where you can park in front of the store. My impression is hanging out at the mall with friends is less prevalent for teens now with social media.

[HiawathaGuy]

My impression is hanging out at the mall with friends is less prevalent for teens now with social media.

Not if my 14 year old niece & her friends are to judge. Eden Prairie Mall is their place to go.

[grant1simons2]

Yeah, that's not the reason why. I mean I guess we use social media to ask if anyone wants to go to Uptown. Or to some new coffee shop or new restaurant. Malls just aren't as appealing anymore.

I remember the mall phase in middle school, but that as just the few years before we gained more freedom.

[Anondson]

Scott Neal (@edinacityman) tweeted:
"Beacon Interfaith says they will break ground on 66 West project in summer 2016 and to start moving people in during spring 2017."
https://twitter.com/edinacityman/status ... 6222871553

[Anondson]

Hennepin County Service Center sign went up this week above Southdale Center's east entrance near the transit station.
New County Service Sign by Eric Anondson, on Flickr

[mister.shoes]

Shot of the apartments fronting York across from Wendy's (click to embiggen).

[mister.shoes]

Have we talked about the proposed hotel in the NE corner of the Southdale superblock?

[Anondson]

I've posted about it up thread. I strongly wish they'd do something else with the exit off York into the mall ring road. People come off that flying at high speeds. It could use some calming.

[Anondson]

To be clear, the high speed turn lane off York spills drivers right at the transit station crosswalk while crossing the west York sidewalks which the hotel and 66th/York apartment residents will use is a tragedy in the waiting.

[mister.shoes]

Dang. I scanned posts going back a few months and didn't see anything. My bad.

As for the exit off York, this doesn't appear to do anything for the geometry on the southbound portion, but the addition of the island splitting the lanes to allow for a northbound u-turn should at least slow people a tiny bit as they shoot the narrowed gap.

[mister.shoes]

Excellent point on the new sidewalk along York. That's an absolutely terrible angle.

[min-chi-cbus]

So many changes in this area, I'll hardly recognize it next time I see it!