Har Mar Mall
 A row of shops in Har Mar Mall's western façade | |
 | |
| Location | Roseville, Minnesota, USA |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 45°00′17″N 93°09′50″W / 45.0046°N 93.1638°W |
| Address | 2100 North Snelling Avenue |
| Opening date | August 1963 |
| Management | Vanbarton Services LLC |
| Owner | Vanbarton Group LLC |
| Architect | Robert W. Fendler |
| No. of stores and services | 45 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
| Total retail floor area | 430,000 square feet (40,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
| Website | harmarmall.com |
Har Mar Mall is an enclosed shopping mall in Roseville, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities. Har Mar Mall comprises over 430,000 square feet (40,000 m2) of retail space and is anchored by Burlington Coat Factory, Cub Foods, HomeGoods, and Marshalls. The mall contains 45 tenants, including several national chains, such as Barnes & Noble, David's Bridal, and Staples Inc.
Opened in 1963 and expanded several times since, it is one of two enclosed malls in Roseville; the other mall being Rosedale Center. Despite being a relatively small shopping center, Har Mar Mall continues to remain open. It was constructed by Robert W. Fendler of Fendler Patterson and is currently owned and managed by the Vanbarton Group and Varbarton Services, respectively.
History
1961–1980: Construction, grand opening, and later expansion
Construction for the Har Mar Mall started in 1961, when Harold J. Slawik had a vision to build a "super mall", similar to shopping centers he had seen while traveling in Florida.[1] Deriving its name from its owners, Harold J. Slawik and his wife Marie, Har Mar is a combination of the two names; the mall was built upon 50 acres of land near a busy intersection in Roseville, Minnesota.[1] Minnesota-native Willard Thorson, who designed Apache Plaza in nearby St. Anthony, designed the mall,[2] while Robert W. Fendler served as the mall's architect.[3] According to Thorson, the mall consists of "a long corridor, which zigzags at a series of angles... that make Har Mar truly unique";[4] Har Mar features "massively wide" hallways and "arched ceilings with large windows" to allow natural light to enter the corridors.
The mall cost nearly $6 million to construct over a span of two years.[5] During the summer of 1962, Harold Slawik passed away, leaving his wife in charge of the mall's busy work; Mrs. Slawik reportedly worked 80 hour weeks in order to keep up with the mall.[5] In May of the same year, Target Corporation constructed their first location in a parking lot directly north of Har Mar.[6] To compete with the opening of nearby Rosedale Center in 1969, it went through a significant expansion in the early 1970's. In 1970, the construction of a twin theater, Har Mar 1 & 2, was completed and became the Twin Cities' second double-screened cinema; its luxurious design included a "spacious lobby, with three Venetian glass chandeliers and bubbling fountains" and was constructed by architect Benjamin Gingold Jr..[7]
1981–present: Tornado and current affairs
On June 14, 1981, Har Mar Mall was damaged by a large tornado during the afternoon hours.[8] While the mall wasn't heavily damaged and only affected the mall's cosmetic appearance, several nearby local businesses and residences were left in ruins following the impact.[8] Shortly after the tornado, a large renovation occurred to update the mall's appearance and fix any damage left by it.[4] In 1988, another expansion took place, allowing Har Mar to acquire several larger retailers in the newly constructed space; the opening of Highland Superstore and TJ Maxx appeared later this year, along with the addition of a new food court with seating for over 400 people.[9] Three years later, the Highland Superstore was converted to BizMart, a regional office supply store.[10] BizMart was later acquired by OfficeMax in 1992 before ultimately closing in 1995; HomePlace opened in the space vacated by OfficeMax, and is currently leased by HomeGoods, the successor of HomePlace.[11]
In 2014, Burlington Coat Factory, a discount apparel retailer, announced that they planned to lease a 52,300 square feet (4,900 m2) space previously occupied by Northwestern Books; the opening of this location allowed all of Har Mar's anchor tenants to be completely leased.[12] Currently, the mall still prospers mixing "large, special interest stores, as well as a variety of smaller, more unique stores" under one roof.[13] Several new tenants and businesses have began leasing space in the center, such as Staples Inc., D'Amico & Sons, plus several other fine dining establishments.[14] In November 2015, a plan was proposed by the City of Roseville for the expansion of transportation routes in the neighboring vicinity of Har Mar; the director of the project, Paul Bilotta, stated that the project could bring new customers to the mall which Bilotta states has "struggled for identity for a number of decades".[15] According to Mass Transit, construction of the project will begin in mid 2016.[16]
See also
- Har Mar Superstar, a musician whose performing name is derived from the mall's name.
References
- ^ a b "About Us". Roseville Midway Ford. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ "Willard Thorsen collection". Northwest Architectural Archives, Manuscripts Division. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ Longworth, Nick (November 20, 2015). "Fendler Patterson celebrates 50 years". Savage Pacer. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b "HarMar Mall: Space for Real Life". E-Democracy. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ a b Woltman, Nick (April 8, 2015). "Har Mar Mall founder Marie Slawik honored posthumously". Pioneer Press. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ von Hoffman, Alexander. "Profiles in Preservation: Sienna Green Apartments in Roseville, Minnesota" (PDF). Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Minnesota Historical Society (2007). Twin Cities Picture Show. Minnesota Historical Society. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
- ^ a b "The Har Mar Tornado: June 14, 1981". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. September 16, 2006. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ "Shopping malls freshen up". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 15 May 1988. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ "Computer discounter plans local megacenter". St. Paul Pioneer Press. June 11, 1991. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ "Har Mar To Expand For Homeplace//Large Store Is Part Of Mall's Conversion". St. Paul Pioneer Press. March 30, 1995. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ Halter, Nick (July 20, 2014). "Burlington opening store in HarMar Mall". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ "Harmar Mall". Explore Minnesota. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ "Har Mar Mall Outlot 81 and Staples Infill Roseville, Minnesota". LKPB Engineers, Inc. Retrieved April 12, 2016.
- ^ Bilotta, Paul (November 19, 2015). "Development pops up along Red Line bus rapid transit in Eagan, Apple Valley". Star Tribune. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Ferraro, Nick. "MN: Metro Transit Breaks Ground on Red Line Bus Stop in Eagan". Mass Transit. Retrieved June 3, 2016.