Columbia Mall
An enclosed regional shopping mall in Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Columbia Mall is an enclosed regional shopping center in Grand Forks, North Dakota, positioned at the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road. The mall opened on August 2, 1978, after Dayton Hudson Corporation secured approval for its proposed site during a period of intense competition over the location of a major new shopping center in the city. Dayton Hudson, which later became associated with Target Corporation, developed the project at an estimated cost of approximately $20 million. At opening, the center contained about 571,800 square feet of retail space and included three principal anchors: Target, Dayton's, and JCPenney. The project became the successful outcome of a broader local development contest. In the mid-1970s, Dayton Hudson proposed a mall on the Columbia Road site, while other developers advanced competing locations, including a proposed Marketplace West project. A city referendum to annex the Columbia Mall site was ultimately approved, and the Grand Forks City Council treated the result as public support for the Dayton Hudson development. The competing Marketplace West location was later used for the Alerus Center arena and convention facility. Columbia Mall's tenant mix changed substantially over time. Sears moved into the center in 2000 after relocating from Grand Cities Mall, bringing the number of major anchor tenants to four. Target subsequently moved into a larger nearby location on 32nd Avenue South in 2001 and became a SuperTarget. The former Dayton's store changed to Marshall Field's in 2001 following a national brand transition, then passed through ownership changes involving May Department Stores and Federated Department Stores before being converted to Macy's. The former Target space was later redeveloped for Scheels All Sports, which opened at the mall in 2014. GK Development, based in Barrington, Illinois, added the Dakota Cafe food court in 2005. The mall also served a temporary community-support role after a tornado struck nearby Northwood, North Dakota, on August 26, 2007; the American Red Cross established a disaster-relief operations headquarters at the shopping center. These uses reflect the mall's importance not only as a retail destination but also as a large, accessible public facility in the region. The center is described as the largest mall within approximately 70 miles of Grand Forks. Its location roughly 80 miles from the Canada–United States border and about 140 miles from Winnipeg gives it a cross-border customer base, particularly among shoppers from Manitoba. Current or recently reported tenants include JCPenney, Scheels, Bath & Body Works, Hot Topic, Maurices, and Men's Wearhouse. Maurices is expected to close its Columbia Mall location in fall 2026 according to the cited reference material. The mall experienced significant anchor-store losses in the late 2010s. Macy's closed its south-side location on March 26, 2017, citing broader company difficulties, and Sears closed its north-side store on October 18, 2018, amid the retailer's bankruptcy-related restructuring. The vacant anchor buildings subsequently attracted interest from potential replacement users. In 2026, Midwest Ventures, working with Crary Real Estate and the Haugs family, received city approval for rezoning that would permit the former Macy's building to be converted into a mixed-use commercial and storage facility. Renovation work on that project was reported as beginning in 2026. Columbia Mall therefore remains an active regional retail property while adapting portions of its legacy department-store footprint to changing retail and real-estate demand.
History
Columbia Mall developed out of a competitive effort to establish a major shopping center in Grand Forks during the 1970s. In 1975, Dayton Hudson Corporation proposed a mall at the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road. The location faced competition from an Inland Construction proposal near 32nd Avenue South and Washington Street and from a separate local-investor and Farber-Kelley proposal for a project called Marketplace West at DeMers Avenue and 42nd Street. The city planning department initially favored the Marketplace West site, but a referendum was called to annex the Dayton Hudson site. After voters approved the annexation, the city council interpreted the result as support for the Columbia Mall proposal. Marketplace West was not built at its proposed location; that area later became the site of the Alerus Center. Dayton Hudson developed Columbia Mall at an estimated cost of approximately $20 million. The enclosed center opened on August 2, 1978, with roughly 571,800 square feet of retail area. Its original major tenants were Dayton Hudson-owned Target and Dayton's, together with JCPenney. The combination gave the mall a broad department-store foundation and made it a significant shopping destination for Grand Forks and surrounding communities. The tenant and anchor structure evolved over the following decades. Sears relocated from Grand Cities Mall to Columbia Mall in 2000, increasing the number of principal anchors to four. In 2001, Target left its original mall space for a larger nearby location and operated there as a SuperTarget. The original Dayton's location changed its name to Marshall Field's in 2001. Following subsequent corporate transactions involving May Department Stores and Federated Department Stores, the store was converted to Macy's. GK Development later invested in the property, including the addition of the Dakota Cafe food court in 2005. The center also became a temporary disaster-response location after a tornado struck nearby Northwood, North Dakota, on August 26, 2007. The American Red Cross used part of the shopping center as a temporary headquarters for disaster-relief operations. In 2014, the former Target space was reused for a new Scheels All Sports store. This conversion illustrated the mall's continuing ability to replace or repurpose large retail spaces as department-store formats changed. The property was also supported by specialty tenants such as Bath & Body Works, Hot Topic, Maurices, and Men's Wearhouse, alongside JCPenney and Scheels. The mall lost two traditional department-store anchors in the late 2010s. Macy's closed its south-side store on March 26, 2017, amid difficulties affecting the company. Sears closed its north-side location on October 18, 2018, during the retailer's bankruptcy-related decline. The empty anchor buildings prompted interest from possible replacement occupants and eventually contributed to a broader redevelopment discussion. Columbia Mall continues to function as a regional enclosed shopping center. It is described as the largest mall within 70 miles of Grand Forks and benefits from a trade area extending toward the Canada–United States border and Winnipeg. The property is approximately 80 miles from the border and 140 miles from Winnipeg, making cross-border shopping an important part of its customer base. In 2026, Grand Forks approved rezoning connected with a proposal by Midwest Ventures, Crary Real Estate, and the Haugs family to convert the former Macy's space into a mixed-use commercial and storage facility. Renovation work was reported as starting in 2026, indicating an ongoing transition from a traditional department-store-led mall model toward a more diversified property format.
- 2026
Former Macy's space enters mixed-use redevelopment
[1]A rezoning approval enabled a proposal to convert the former Macy's building into commercial and storage uses, with renovation reported as beginning in 2026.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]The Sears anchor on the north side closed on October 18 during the company's bankruptcy-related retrenchment.
- 2017
Macy's closes
[1]The Macy's anchor on the south side of the mall closed on March 26.
- 2014
Scheels All Sports opens in the former Target space
[1]A new Scheels All Sports store occupied the former in-mall Target location.
- 2007
American Red Cross uses the mall for tornado relief
[1]Following the Northwood tornado, the American Red Cross established a temporary disaster-relief operations headquarters at Columbia Mall.
- 2005
Dakota Cafe food court is added
[1]GK Development added the Dakota Cafe food court as part of the mall's property improvements.
- 2001
Target relocates and Dayton's becomes Marshall Field's
[1]Target moved to a larger nearby SuperTarget location, while the Dayton's store changed to Marshall Field's.
- 2000
Sears relocates to Columbia Mall
[1]Sears moved from Grand Cities Mall to Columbia Mall, becoming an additional major anchor.
- 1978
Columbia Mall opens
[1]The mall opened on August 2 with approximately 571,800 square feet and initial anchors Dayton's, Target, and JCPenney.
- 1975
Dayton Hudson advances the Columbia Mall proposal
[1]Dayton Hudson proposed an enclosed mall at 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road amid competition from other potential Grand Forks shopping-center projects.
Products and positioning
Regional enclosed shopping mall serving Grand Forks, northeastern North Dakota, and cross-border customers from Manitoba.
Department store · 1978
JCPenney
JCPenney is one of Columbia Mall's original major retail anchors and remains part of its reported current tenant base. The department-store format provides apparel, accessories, home merchandise, and other general retail categories within the mall's regional shopping offer.
Sporting-goods retailer · 2014
Scheels All Sports
Scheels All Sports occupies the former in-mall Target space. Added in 2014, the store brought a large sporting-goods and lifestyle retail format into an existing anchor footprint and became one of the mall's principal attractions.
Food court · 2005
Dakota Cafe
Dakota Cafe is the mall's named food-court facility. GK Development added it in 2005 to complement the center's retail tenants and provide dining space for shoppers and visitors.
Specialty retail
Specialty retail tenant mix
The mall's specialty-retail offering has included Bath & Body Works, Hot Topic, Maurices, and Men's Wearhouse. These stores broaden the center's assortment beyond department stores through beauty, youth fashion, women's apparel, and men's clothing categories.
Brand decisions
2026
Mixed-use conversion of the former Macy's buildingStrategyBackground
The former Macy's anchor remained vacant after the department store closed in 2017, creating an opportunity to diversify the property's use.
Action taken
Grand Forks approved rezoning associated with Midwest Ventures, Crary Real Estate, and the Haugs family to permit commercial and storage uses in the former Macy's space.
Aftermath
Renovation of the proposed mixed-use facility was reported as beginning in 2026.
2014
Conversion of former Target space for ScheelsStrategyBackground
The departure of Target created a large vacant anchor footprint within the mall.
Action taken
The former Target space was redeveloped for a Scheels All Sports store.
Aftermath
Scheels opened in the space and became one of the mall's major current anchors.
2001
Replacement of the original Target formatGeneration changeBackground
Target required a larger retail format than the original in-mall location could provide.
Action taken
Target relocated to a larger nearby site and operated there as a SuperTarget, leaving its former mall space available for later reuse.
Aftermath
The former Target space was eventually converted for Scheels All Sports, which opened there in 2014.
Sources1 sources
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