The Dayton's Project signs major new tenant, plans spring makers market
The Dayton's Project has secured another major tenant for the former department store on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis.
Unilever, an England-based consumer goods company that owns products that include Dove, Hellmann's, Seventh Generation, Ben & Jerry's, and Vaseline, has signed a lease for 13,445 square feet of the building, a news release on Monday said.
Unilever joins other tenants Ernst & Young and Uncommon Retail, which were previously announced as tenants for the project.
Jim Montez of Transwestern, which represented the Dayton's Project in the deal, said this lease is "a great sign for downtown Minneapolis."
"Companies are interested in coming back, and The Dayton’s Project is the perfect space to bring your people to," Montez said. "The recent redevelopment has provided tenants with rare outdoor space, a luxury gym, and flexible places to work and meet within the building."
This comes as The Departments at Dayton's is slated reopen on March 15 with a spring makers market with vendors selling various goods, from pottery to soap, cookies and furniture.
The former department store opened to the public for the first time last fall when it hosted a maker's market during the 2021 holiday season.
The Dayton's Project transformed the 1.2 million-square-foot former Dayton's department store, which was built in 1902, into a retail and modern office space after buying the property in 2017. The property has amenities for tenants that include a rooftop deck, private lounge, fitness center, and library.
The long-awaited redevelopment of the historic Nicollet Mall building also includes 200,000-square-feet of dining and retail space on the three bottom floors (lower, street and skyway), including a 45,000-square-foot food hall that will be curated by celebrity chef Andrew Zimmern, the website says.
