After a temporary six-month shutdown, Apple has announced that its Uptown, Minneapolis store will close permanently. 

The longtime retailer on the corner of Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street informed its nearly 60 employees Wednesday of the closure. The store has been closed since the start of the pandemic in March, and suffered damage from rioters following the killing of George Floyd. 

Apple says it had considered closing the store before the pandemic began. 

"Our stores in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have served customers for 19 years, and our nearly 500 team members look forward to helping our customers for a long, long time," Apple said Thursday in a statement to BMTN.

"Though we've made the difficult decision to permanently close Apple Uptown, all of our valued team members will be offered other positions within Apple and we look forward to continuing to serve our customers at our four nearby stores."

Apple's departure is among the most major loss for Uptown. Previous closures include Columbia Sportswear, North Face and Arc'teryx. The Urban Outfitters store is also listed for possible sale or lease. 

Apple's other stores in the Twin Cities can be found in the Mall of America, as well as the Ridgedale, Southdale and Rosedale malls.

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