Demolition of Lake Street Kmart starts Monday
MINNEAPOLIS — On Monday, the city of Minneapolis will begin to demolish the old lake street Kmart that was destroyed in a fire last month.
The city said crews will start removing the roof and parts of inside the building. The actual building won't be taken down until next week.
The Kmart has blocked traffic on Nicollet Avenue for nearly half a century. Critics have said it disconnected the neighborhood. It closed in 2020 and the city bought the land.
Crews arrived just after 5 a.m. on Oct. 20 to find smoke and fire pouring from the building. It took hours to extinguish the fire and search the building. No one was found inside.
The city's investigation of the fire was completed just days after the blaze. It found the cause and origin of the fire to be undetermined.
Minneapolis is now taking public input on what to do with the space. You can add your ideas on the new roadway and public design concepts through Nov. 15.