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The Mall's concept was designed by Triple Five Group, owned by the Ghermezian brothers of who also own the biggest shopping mall in North America, the West Edmonton Mall. Mall of America is located adjacent to the former site of Metropolitan Stadium, where the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Twins played until the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome opened. The teams left Met Stadium in 1982. A plaque in the amusement park commemorates the former location of home plate. One seat from Met Stadium was placed in Mall of America at the exact location (including elevation) it occupied in the stadium, to commemorate a 520-foot (160 m) home run hit by hall-of-famerHarmon Killebrew on June 3, 1967
The Mall opened its doors to the public August 11, 1992. Even before opening, Mall of America had earned several nicknames, including "The Megamall" (or "The Megamess" during construction), "Sprawl of America", "Hugedale" (in reference to the four major "Dale" shopping malls within the Twin Cities, Rosedale, Southdale, Ridgedale and now-defunct (as of 2010) Brookdale) and, simply, "The Mall".
It became the second largest shopping mall in total area and largest in total store vendors in the United States when it opened. Mall of America is the most visited shopping mall in the world with more than 40 million visitors annually (or roughly eight times the population of the state of Minnesota). The Mall employs over 12,000 workers.
During its run as an all-encompassing entertainment and retail venue, certain aspects - most notably bars - have come under scrutiny. A Mardi Gras themed bar, Fat Tuesdays, shut its doors in early 2000 due to indecent exposure and alcohol-related offenses, for ignoring warnings from the Mall and Bloomington police to not repeat incidents caught on tape the year before.[3] Following that verdict there were other problems, such as foot traffic within the Mall after the bars (all located on the fourth floor) had closed for the evening.
In 2003, after a protracted six-year legal battle between Simon Property Group, the managing general partner of the property, and the Ghermezian brothers/Triple Five Group, over majority ownership of the site, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of the Ghermezians, effectively transferring control and planning authority of the Mall back to its original conceptualizer.[4] The dispute stemmed from a 1999 purchase of Teacher's Insurance's 27.5% equity stake by Simon Properties, giving them majority ownership. The Ghermezians claimed they were never told of the deal and sued Simon, citing fiduciary responsibility.
On November 3, 2006, the Ghermezians gained full control of Mall of America, spending US$1 billion to do so.[5]
The Mall of America is planned to be expanded with the construction of Phase II. It will develop a large, empty parcel of land (the former home of the Met Center indoor arena) north of the mall and integrate an IKEA store built on a portion of the property in 2004. The project also includes a dinner theatre, ice rink, three hotels, and a waterpark; similar in design to the West Edmonton Mall. The cost of expansion is $2.1 billion, and will double the mall's size with a 5,200,000-square-foot (480,000 m2) extension.[6]
MOA has signed contracts to bring in Great Wolf Resorts as the waterpark operator, as well as Bass Pro Shops and a Kimpton Hotel.[6] The expansion section will connect to the mall on all four levels, and an adjacent IKEA store via a second level bridge. There will be an NHL-sized ice rink for public & private skating. There will also be an additional parking ramp, adding 8,000 parking spaces. There will also be fine art exhibits planned in the expansion,[7] and two upscale department stores.[8] Another plan that was in the works would have seen fashions, architecture, and restaurants based after Europe.[9]
On May 18, 2008, the Minnesota State Legislature passed a bill granting the city of Bloomington the right to raise property and sales taxes to pay for the MOA expansion. Construction of an expansion has begun, in early 2011, on the south side of the mall near Killebrew Drive, where a 506-room hotel, the Radisson Blu, will open in March 2013.
On 29 November 2011 Google announced indoor maps for Mall of America along with several other places like airports, parks and public spaces.[10]
On March 24, 2012, The Triple Five Group officially announced the start of a $200,000,000 expansion that would build into the north parking lot of the mall. Rather than the long planned Phase II expansion, this would be a step in building this expansion. The initial plans call for an additional hotel and an additional 200,000 square feet of retail space.[11] A Mayo Clinic Wellness Center was also planned, though the company announced that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would cause these plans to be cancelled, as related planning would not have been completed in time for the construction deadline.[12]
In winter 2012-2013, Mall of America hosted a 40 feet tall ice castle made of icicles formed from 4 million gallons of water and then fused together. The castle joined 50 large ice towers together to create a series of shimmering archways, tunnels, walls and caverns.[13]
Architecture
Sign at a Mall of America entrance
The Mall of America has a gross area of 4,870,000 sq ft (452,000 m2) or 96.4 acres, enough to fit seven Yankee Stadiums inside,[14] with 2,500,000 sq ft (230,000 m2) available as retail space.[15] The mall is nearly symmetric, with a roughly rectangular floor plan. More than 530 stores are arranged along three levels of pedestrian walkways on the sides of the rectangle, with a fourth level on the east side. Four anchor department stores are located at the corners. The Mall is organized into four different zones, each with its own decorative style.
Despite Minnesota's cold winters, only the Mall's entrances and some below ground areas are heated. Heat is allowed in through skylights above Nickelodeon Universe. The majority of the heat is produced by lighting fixtures, other electric devices, and people in the mall.[16] In fact, even during the winter, air conditioning systems may still be in use during peak hours to ensure a comfortable shopping environment.[17] Although the common areas are unheated, the individual stores do have heating systems.[18]
Two nearly identical seven story parking ramps on the east and west sides of the Mall provide 12,287 parking spaces. Overflow parking north of the building provides an additional 1,200-1,500 spaces in addition to parking provided by IKEA (1,407 spaces) that is part of the currently under construction Phase II expansion of the Mall.
Mall contents
Level One is the location of Nickelodeon Universe, Sea Life Minnesota (underground), The Theme Park Food Court, LEGO, American Girl Doll store, the Apple Store and Microsoft store (directly across from each other near the Lego Store), and first level of general retail.[citation needed] Level Two features restaurants, shopping, memory moments. Level Three has two food courts with more than 20 eateries, Marshall's, mini-golf, and other hot places like Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.[19][20] Level Four is the entertainment level with The Hooters restaurant, Cantina #1 restaurant, Rick Bronson's House of Comedy, Dick's Last Resort, Skydeck Sports Grille and Lanes, and The Theatres at Mall of America now occupy the fourth floor as of January 2012. For many years the 4th floor was considered a ghost town but has recently surged in popularity and remains 70% occupied. Planet Hollywood, at the height of its success, was once a very popular restaurant on the fourth floor, but closed in 2003. This space is now occupied by Dick's Last Resort.[21]
Skydeck Sports Grille and Lanes, formerly Jillian's, was initially closed due to low foot traffic and issue running a family friendly restaurant in a space occupied by several bars. The Mall was in negotiations with Dave and Buster's for several years, which failed to re-open the location. In 2011, new owners were brought back in and relaunched the restaurant and lanes under the new name.[21] In order to keep the fourth floor from failing as it did in the early 2000s, the Mall has strategically leased to several different corporations, rather than leasing several spaced to one corporation. The bankruptcy of Jillian's in 2004 led to the lowest vacancy rate of the 4th floor, at 41%.[21] The original Level Four had a comedy club, Hooters, bowling alley, arcade, and Planet Hollywood.[citation needed] Due to the structure of the building, Level Four only exists on the East and South side of the mall.
Currently, the mall has 23 empty stores. Mall of America is 4% vacant while nearby Southdale Center is 18% vacant.
Nickelodeon Universe is an indoor theme park in the center of the mall. The park features roller coasters, among numerous other rides and attractions, and is the largest indoor theme park in the United States. Unlike many indoor amusement parks, Nickelodeon Universe has a great deal of natural foliage in and about the park, and its floor has a wide variance in height - the highest ground level in the park is 15 feet (4.6 m) above the lowest. The park features two new roller coasters, SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge and Avatar Airbender, and a new thrill ride called BrainSurge. The latter roller coaster bills itself as a "rather peculiar" ride. It also has a miniature golfing section called Moose Mountain. This miniature golf course features eighteen holes and a relatively fast astroturf surface.
At the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, guests travel through a 300-foot-long (91 m) curved tunnel through 14 feet (4.3 m) of water to view over 4,500 sea creatures including sharks, turtles, stingrays, and many more.[25] SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium offers special events such as sleepovers, scuba diving, snorkeling, and birthday parties.[26][27][28][29]
Nostalgic artifacts or memorials
A stadium seat commemorating the longest home run at Metropolitan Stadium, hit by Minnesota Twins player Harmon Killebrew on June 3, 1967. The seat is painted red and bolted to a wall to mark the exact height and position at which the ball landed in the upper-deck seats.[30]
The home plate plaque in Nickelodeon Universe denoting the exact spot of home plate at Metropolitan Stadium The home plate plaque in Nickelodeon Universe[30]
The Mall of America Transit Station is the busiest transit hub/station in Minnesota, with bus and light rail service linking the mall to many destinations in the Minneapolis - St. Paul metro. Public transit service is provided by Metro Transit and Minnesota Valley Transit Authority. Many area hotels and Mystic Lake Casino offer free shuttles to their establishments. The transit station for local bus/rail service is in the lower level of the eastern parking ramp. From there, the METROBlue Line light rail connects the mall to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and downtown Minneapolis (another shopping destination) and terminates at Target Field home of the Minnesota Twins (MLB baseball team). The mall is not a park and ride facility, and overnight parking is banned to prevent passengers taking the train to the airport. Commuters are encouraged to use the nearby 28th Avenue Station's parking ramp. The mall is the nineteenth and final stop on the Blue Line and is the northern terminus of the Red Line. The Mall of America Transit Station is undergoing a study to increase efficiencies and capacities, and to provide a better experience for its users; estimates for the upgrade are approximately $20 million.
At the mall people have been questioned or detained for operating video cameras, using notebooks, or other perceived suspicious behavior. Michael Rozin, the former manager of the mall's behavior detection unit instructs its members that "suspicious behavior" constitutes "photographing such things as air-conditioning ducts or signs that a shopper might have something to hide".[34] Commander Jim Ryan of the Bloomington Police Department commented that the mall's security methods may "infringe on some freedoms, unfortunately."[34][35]
Slogans
Where Something Special Happens Every Day (1992)
The Ultimate One-Stop Shop (1993)
Your Life. Your Style. Your Place. (1994)
America's Shining Bright on You! (1995)
America, You're the One! (1996)
The Spirit of America (1997)
Be There or Be Square! (1998)
America's Lovin' It! (1999)
Mall of America 2000: Celebrate the New Millennium! (2000)
The Mall That Remembers America (2001; used after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001)
Where You're Looking Good! (2002)
Red, White and You (2003)
More Ways to Be You (2007) (still embedded on mall's gift cards)
The New Home of Nickelodeon Universe (2008; used to celebrate the opening of Nickelodeon Universe)
The Place for Fun (2009)
More Stores. More Value. (2010)
America Loves MOA (2010)
20 years of fun (2012)
Always New (2013)
Amusement park and other Mall features
The amusement park, during its "Camp Snoopy" days.
The amusement park, during its "Camp Snoopy" days.
The Metropolitan Stadium home plate marker.
The Harmon Killebrew chair.
Another shot of the amusement park during the Camp Snoopy era.
The carousel at the amusement park.
The band organ, formerly at the carousel entrance.
The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. restaurant.
Another shot of Camp Snoopy from a different angle. The Kite-Eating Tree ride is shown in this picture.
When Camp Snoopy became Nickelodeon Universe in 2008, the Kite-Eating Tree was restyled and renamed Swing-Along.
The three-story American flag, which was used on July 4, 2008.
The mall's information sign, which shows the use of "MOA".
The MPR store, emphasizing A Prairie Home Companion.
Al's Farm Toys, a farm-themed toy store which closed in 2010.
A few of the unique sports-themed stores throughout the mall.
The legendary mural imitating Seurat; formerly near the food court.
The Lego "Imagination Center", the longest-standing Mall attraction.
The Lego Store after 2010 remodeling.
