Mall of America to present $225 million expansion plan to city

Mall of America officials will go to the city of Bloomington next week to present their plan for the second phase of a major expansion.

The Business Journal reports the new $225 million structure on the north side of the mega mall near Ikea will include a 347-room luxury hotel, a three-floor retail expansion, a "dining terrace" to replace the mall's third-floor food court and an underground parking ramp.

If all goes well with financing and city approval, officials hope to break ground in September or October and open in the summer of 2015.

It's still too early to know what retailers will fill the space, but the mall says they're close to securing a deal with a luxury hotel brand.

The construction is sure to cause headaches for drivers traveling to or near the mall. The Star Tribune reports road closures, delays and detours can be expected for the next two years.

Last month, the newly-constructed $130 million Radisson Blu hotel opened on the mall's south side.