Shoppes at Knollwood
A regional shopping center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, originally opened as the open-air Knollwood Plaza in 1955.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Shoppes at Knollwood is a regional shopping center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, along Minnesota State Highway 7. The property began in 1955 as Knollwood Plaza, an open-air retail center serving the western Minneapolis–Saint Paul area. Its original tenants included Powers Dry Goods, Woolworth, JCPenney, and Red Owl Grocery Store, reflecting the mid-century pattern of combining department stores, variety retail, and food shopping in a suburban commercial district. The center was enclosed in 1980, a major physical transformation that added an interior mall environment and expanded the property’s role as a conventional enclosed shopping mall. Montgomery Ward became an important eastern-side anchor during this period. Over time, the property’s department-store mix changed repeatedly. Powers later became Donaldson’s and subsequently Carson Pirie Scott. Carson’s closed in 1994, and its building was demolished to make way for Kohl’s. Montgomery Ward closed its location in 1998, and Cub Foods occupied the former space one year later. JCPenney departed in 2000. The eastern wing experienced another change in use after being vacated in 1999 for a planned multiplex cinema that never opened. In 2004, TJ Maxx moved from an existing location elsewhere in the center into the eastern wing and opened a combined TJ Maxx/HomeGoods format. This shift illustrated the property’s movement away from a traditional department-store-centered model toward discount apparel, home merchandise, and value-oriented specialty retail. A further redevelopment plan was announced in 2014. The project called for removing the remaining enclosed mall area between Kohl’s and the TJ Maxx/HomeGoods location and creating a more open, contemporary shopping-center layout. Nordstrom Rack was added as a major tenant. Following the work, the property adopted the name The Shoppes at Knollwood and held a grand reopening in May 2015. The rebranding emphasized an open-air or hybrid shopping-center identity rather than the enclosed-mall format associated with its earlier decades. The center is owned by Gateway Knollwood, LLC and managed by Mid-America Real Estate. Major retailers identified with the property include Kohl’s, TJ Maxx, Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, and DSW Shoe Warehouse. In March 2025, Kohl’s announced that it would close its store at the property, and the shopping center was reported to be for sale. These developments created uncertainty around the next phase of the center, although the property remained an operating retail destination at the time of the available reference material.
History
The property now known as the Shoppes at Knollwood traces its history to 1955, when it opened in St. Louis Park as Knollwood Plaza. It was initially an open-air strip shopping center designed to serve suburban consumers along what is now Minnesota State Highway 7. The early tenant roster combined a Powers Dry Goods department store, Woolworth, JCPenney, and Red Owl Grocery Store. This mix gave the center both general-merchandise anchors and everyday food and variety shopping. In 1980, Knollwood Plaza was enclosed. The conversion reflected the broader shift in American suburban retail toward climate-controlled indoor malls and more concentrated department-store environments. Montgomery Ward was added to the eastern side of the enclosed center, strengthening the mall’s anchor lineup. The property subsequently experienced a succession of department-store conversions and closures. Powers became Donaldson’s and later Carson Pirie Scott. Carson’s left the center in 1994, after which its building was demolished and replaced by a Kohl’s store. Montgomery Ward closed in 1998. Its former space was occupied by Cub Foods in 1999, preserving a large-format food-retail presence at the site. The eastern wing was also vacated in 1999 for a proposed multiplex movie theater, but the cinema project did not open. In 2000, JCPenney closed, further reducing the traditional department-store presence. The center’s tenant and format strategy continued to evolve in the early 2000s. In 2004, TJ Maxx relocated from another part of the property to the eastern wing and opened a combined TJ Maxx/HomeGoods store. The move placed discount apparel and home merchandise in a prominent former anchor area and reflected changing consumer demand and the growing importance of off-price retail. In 2014, plans were announced to remove the remaining enclosed portion between Kohl’s and the TJ Maxx/HomeGoods store. The redevelopment was intended to modernize the property, improve its open-air configuration, and create a more contemporary retail setting. Nordstrom Rack was added during the redevelopment. The center reopened in May 2015 under the name The Shoppes at Knollwood, replacing the older Knollwood Mall identity with a name intended to convey a collection of shops rather than a fully enclosed mall. The redeveloped center’s major retailers included Kohl’s, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, Old Navy, Nordstrom Rack, and DSW Shoe Warehouse. Ownership is attributed to Gateway Knollwood, LLC, while Mid-America Real Estate manages the property. In March 2025, Kohl’s announced the closure of its store at the center, and the property was reported to be for sale. The available references do not establish a subsequent buyer, definitive redevelopment plan, or final operating status for every tenant.
- 2025
Kohl's closure and property sale reported
[1]Kohl's announces the closure of its store at the center, while the shopping property is reported to be for sale.
- 2015
Property reopens as The Shoppes at Knollwood
[1]Following redevelopment, the center holds a grand reopening in May under the Shoppes at Knollwood name.
- 2014
Redevelopment plans announced
[1]Plans are announced to remove the remaining enclosed mall section between Kohl's and TJ Maxx/HomeGoods and add Nordstrom Rack.
- 2004
TJ Maxx/HomeGoods relocates to the eastern wing
[1]TJ Maxx moves from an existing location within the property and opens a combined TJ Maxx/HomeGoods store in the eastern wing.
- 2000
JCPenney closes
[1]JCPenney ends its tenancy at the center.
- 1999
Cub Foods occupies former Montgomery Ward space
[1]Cub Foods opens in the former Montgomery Ward location. The eastern wing is also vacated for a planned multiplex cinema that never opens.
- 1998
Montgomery Ward departs
[1]Montgomery Ward closes its store at the mall.
- 1994
Carson's location closes and is replaced by Kohl's
[1]The Carson Pirie Scott store closes and is demolished; a Kohl's store is subsequently developed on the site.
- 1980
Center is enclosed
[1]Knollwood Plaza is converted into an enclosed shopping mall, and Montgomery Ward is added to the eastern side.
- 1955
Knollwood Plaza opens
[1]The property opens as an open-air strip shopping center in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, with Powers Dry Goods, Woolworth, JCPenney, and Red Owl Grocery Store among its initial tenants.
Products and positioning
A suburban regional shopping center focused on accessible fashion, footwear, home merchandise, and general retail. Since its 2015 redevelopment and renaming, the property has positioned itself as an open-air or hybrid shopping destination rather than a conventional enclosed mall.
Department store · 1994
Kohl's
Kohl's served as a major department-store anchor at the property after replacing the former Carson Pirie Scott location. Its merchandise mix included apparel, accessories, home goods, beauty products, and general merchandise. A closure was announced in 2025.
Off-price apparel and home retail · 2004
TJ Maxx/HomeGoods
The combined TJ Maxx/HomeGoods operation brought off-price clothing, accessories, seasonal merchandise, furniture, décor, and household goods to the center. It relocated into the eastern wing in 2004 after that area had undergone earlier tenant changes.
Off-price fashion and footwear · 2015
Nordstrom Rack
Nordstrom Rack was added as part of the redevelopment announced in 2014 and completed for the center's 2015 reopening. The format typically focuses on discounted designer and contemporary apparel, accessories, and footwear; the available reference identifies it as a major tenant but does not provide a detailed store history.
Footwear retail
DSW Shoe Warehouse
DSW Shoe Warehouse is identified among the shopping center's major stores. Its retail role is centered on a broad selection of branded men's, women's, and children's footwear and related accessories.
Apparel retail
Old Navy
Old Navy is identified as a major retailer at the center, offering value-oriented casual clothing, accessories, and family apparel.
Grocery retail · 1999
Cub Foods
Cub Foods occupied the former Montgomery Ward space beginning in 1999, maintaining a large-format grocery presence at the property after the department-store tenant departed.
Brand decisions
2025
Kohl's store closure and property saleOtherBackground
Kohl's announced that its store at the Shoppes at Knollwood would close, while the shopping center was reported to be on the market.
Action taken
Kohl's began the process of leaving the property; ownership or marketing details for a possible sale were not established in the available reference.
Aftermath
The closure created a major anchor vacancy and left the center's subsequent ownership and redevelopment direction unresolved in the available material.
2014
Convert the remaining enclosed mall area to a more open retail formatStrategyBackground
After decades as an enclosed mall and a series of anchor departures, the property announced a redevelopment intended to modernize the center and improve its retail configuration.
Action taken
The plan removed the remaining enclosed portion between Kohl's and TJ Maxx/HomeGoods and added Nordstrom Rack.
Aftermath
The center reopened in May 2015 under the Shoppes at Knollwood name, with a more open-air shopping-center identity.
Recent events
- 2025
Kohl's store at Shoppes at Knollwood announced for closure[1]
Leadership change
Kohl's was reported to be closing its location at the Shoppes at Knollwood. The same reporting indicated that the shopping center itself was being offered for sale, introducing uncertainty about the property's ownership and tenant mix.
Sources2 sources
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