Rosedale Center set for major two-story expansion with new anchor store

A new "anchor tenant" would arrive at the Rosedale Center under preliminary plans for a 140,000 square foot expansion.

Becoming the latest Twin Cities mall to reveal significant expansion plans, the Star Tribune reports it would see a two-story extension built on the mall's northeast corner, between the JCPenney anchor store and the shops, restaurants and AMC movie theater that make up "The Plaza."

It would add 141,000 square feet to the 1.1 million of retail space already at the mall, the newspaper notes, and would also see the building of a 450-stall parking deck to replace the 300-plus spaces making way for the new building.

The Business Journal reports that Rosedale is aiming to stay competitive in the market at a time of significant investment by rival malls – with the Ridgedale Center adding a Nordstrom and a Macy's, and the Mall of America in the middle of a $325 million expansion.

The Star Tribune notes that Southdale has also undertaken a major redesign.

"It's something we've been working on for the last couple years," Rosedale General Manager Scott Michaelis told the Business Journal. "With our competitors in the market either expanding or remodeling, Rosedale sees this as an opportunity to advance its position in the market."

The mall recently submitted plans for the project to the City of Roseville, but the Pioneer Press reports that there is no indication of how much it will cost at this stage.

The mall is also not disclosing the identity of the new anchor tenant – who would join other anchors Macy's, Herberger's and JCPenney – but Michaelis told the newspaper "strong talks" are underway and he hopes to be able to announces it early fall.

Although not visited as much as the Mall of America – Rosedale is arguably the most popular mall among Twin Cities shoppers, if not tourists.

The Annual St. Thomas Survey found that Rosedale was the number 1 pick for metro area residents' Christmas shopping in 2014 ahead of the Mall of America, Ridgedale and Eden Prairie.