Parts of Bloomington's 63-year-old Southtown Shopping Center to face wrecking ball
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — Crews are hard at work tearing down parts of the historic Southtown Shopping Center in Bloomington.
Demolition began Tuesday at the center, located at Interstate 494 at Penn Avenue, which has been home to dozens of big department stores since 1960.
Kraus-Anderson Realty and Development, Southtown's original builder and current renovator, says the former Herberger's and Toys "R" Us buildings in the center's northeast corner are being torn down to make "a step toward re-envisioning Southtown for contemporary uses."
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"When Kraus-Anderson built Southtown in 1960, it was adjacent to cow pastures," said president and COO Pete Diessner. "But KA, and like many others, could see the potential of this location."
Back in 1960, the center featured the largest Montgomery Wards store in the country, as well as 44 other shops, including long-shuttered Twin Cities chains like Musicland and Red Owl.
The center currently houses chains like Applebee's, Bed Bath and Beyond, Guitar Center, Kohl's and T.J. Maxx, as well as a bowling alley.
The company says the rest of the center will remain open during the demolition project, which is set to wrap up at the end of March.
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