Har Mar Mall

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 / 45.0046; -93.1638Coordinates: 45°00′17″N 93°09′50″W / 45.0046°N 93.1638°W / 45.0046; -93.1638
Address 2100 North Snelling Avenue
Opening date August 1963
Management Vanbarton Services LLC
Owner Vanbarton Group LLC
Architect Willard Thorson
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 Willard Thorson & Associates and is currently owned and managed by the Vanbarton Group and Varbarton Services, respectively.

History

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 and architect Willard Thorson, who also designed Apache Plaza in nearby St. Anthony, designed the mall.[2] According to Thorson, the mall consists of "a long corridor, which zigzags at a series of angles... that make Har Mar truly unique";[3] 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.[4] To compete with the opening of nearby Rosedale Center, it went through a significant expansion in 1971.

On June 14, 1981, Har Mar Mall was damaged by a large tornado during the afternoon hours.[5] While the mall wasn't heavily damaged, several nearby local businesses and residences were left in ruins following the impact.[5] Shortly after the tornado, a large renovation occurred to update the mall's appearance and fix any damage left by it.[3] 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.[6] Three years later, the Highland Superstore was converted to BizMart, a regional office supply store.[7] 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.[8]

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.[9] Currently, the mall still prospers mixing "large, special interest stores, as well as a variety of smaller, more unique stores" under one roof.[10] 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.[11]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "About Us". Roseville Midway Ford. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 "HarMar Mall: Space for Real Life". E-Democracy. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  3. ↑ Woltman, Nick (8 April 2015). "Har Mar Mall founder Marie Slawik honored posthumously". Pioneer Press. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 "The Har Mar Tornado: June 14, 1981". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 16 September 2006. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  5. ↑ "Shopping malls freshen up". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 15 May 1988. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  6. ↑ "Computer discounter plans local megacenter". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 11 June 1991. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  7. ↑ "Har Mar To Expand For Homeplace//Large Store Is Part Of Mall's Conversion". St. Paul Pioneer Press. 30 March 1995. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  8. ↑ Halter, Nick (20 July 2014). "Burlington opening store in HarMar Mall". Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Harmar Mall". Explore Minnesota. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Har Mar Mall Outlot 81 and Staples Infill Roseville, Minnesota". LKPB Engineers, Inc. Retrieved 12 April 2016.

External links

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