A Plea For a Dying Mall.

Southdale circa 1956

Southdale is a local mall here and as a matter of historical relevance, when it opened on October 8th,1956 it was the first enclosed indoor mall in the United States, the beginning of what was to become a major change in the shopping habits everywhere.

This is what was written in Southdale's 1956 press release:

"Southdale shopping center could be called in psychological terms 'an introvert center.' On the outside it presents a quiet and dignified appearance, inviting the shopper to enter through one of ten huge all-glass entrances into the interior. . . . Here he finds himself in an atmosphere of unparalleled liveliness, colorfulness, and beauty. Between shopping activities there is an opportunity for rest in the sidewalk café and on the many rest benches. Here is a chance to amble and promenade, to window shop, to chat with friends, and a large array of features arouses interest and invites contemplation. Trees, tropical plants, flowers, a bird cage, sculptures, and other work of important artists, a pond, a fountain, a juice bar, a cigar and newsstand are some of them."

This afternoon I saw the following tweet by the host of one of the best true to radio, radio shows in the Twin Cities (feel free to follow him on Twitter).

"MattMcNeilAM950 I was at Southdale today. I think that mall is dying. No one in California Pizza Kitchen and a lot of empty retail space. Scary."

I absolutely agree with his assessment of Southdale. The last time I was there and that was a while ago, it felt like a ghost town. On a day like today, when it is unbearably hot outside, Southdale used to be where you'd go to cool off, have a bite to eat and inevidably window shop until you came across something you couldn't live without. Now frankly, it's hardly worth the effort.

Now it's easy to blame today's economy for the condition that Southdale finds itself in. Times are very tough. Chain and franchise stores have to really look at their bottom line and pull out of the markets around the country where frankly, it just isn't worth it to them to stay around. This is especially true with the explosion of internet shopping, especially those internet sites that are run by the same corporations who occupy the malls.

Some people think the time for malls like Southdale has come and gone.

I say baloney! What Southdale, the first of it's kind in the past needs to do is reinvent what a mall is and become relevant again.

Here is my suggestion to the mall Gods.

Southdale should become an exclusive "buy local" and "American made" mall. Break the gigantic anchor store spaces into much smaller units (with minor remodeling- not a big expensive total remake of the mall)and considerably lower the cost to lease space (to be made up by the number of small businesses who lease there)and let the small businesses have at it.

Not only that, but imagine if you will, a gigantic food market where the only rule is that the food must have been grown in the USA. Southdale could take the entire ground floor and turn it into a gigantic year round farmer's market, selling not only fresh fruits and vegetables in the spring and summer, but Christmas trees in the winter. A Penzeys at Southdale? Say it's so!!

And the food court? Locally owned, operated and freshly made food only. Entice some local eateries to open a kind of "sample us" version of their larger restaurants to entice diners to come to their larger restaurant.

How about using some of the food court space for cooking and nutrition classes to teach people that it's not as hard as they think it is to prepare good food and eat well?

Get rid of the fast food outlets!

Southdale already has more than enough parking, they already have various delivery options set up for vendors, public transportation from every point in the city cand get shoppers there...

Geez, I'm getting worked up!

Think how good this would be for the local economy!

Southdale! What are you waiting for??
It's time for another first!!