Ridgedale Center
Ridgedale Center is an enclosed, upscale shopping mall in Minnetonka, Minnesota, serving the western Twin Cities metropolitan area.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Ridgedale Center, commonly called Ridgedale, is an enclosed shopping mall in Minnetonka, a western suburb of Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota. The center is positioned directly off Interstate 394 and U.S. Route 12, between Ridgedale Drive and Plymouth Road, giving it a prominent regional-access location. It contains approximately 1.1 million square feet of leasable retail space and about 140 tenants, making it one of the principal shopping destinations in the western Twin Cities area. The mall was developed by Dayton-Hudson Corporation on approximately 81.3 acres acquired by the company in 1964. Plans were announced in 1972, and construction began that year amid objections from environmental groups. The project was initially considered under the names Oakdale and Twelve Oaks before adopting Ridgedale, continuing the naming pattern established by the Twin Cities' Southdale, Brookdale, and Rosedale shopping centers. Ridgedale opened in 1974 as the metropolitan area's fourth major “Dale” shopping center, with Dayton's, Donaldson's, JCPenney, and Sears as its original department-store anchors. The center's tenant and anchor mix has changed repeatedly in response to department-store consolidation and shifts in American retailing. Donaldson's became Carson Pirie Scott in 1987, and the Carson's store later closed in 1995. Dayton's operated two locations within the mall for a period during the 1990s, including a men's and home store created in the former Carson's space. Dayton's subsequently became part of Marshall Field's in 2001, and Marshall Field's was converted to Macy's in 2006. These changes made Ridgedale an example of how regional malls adapted to mergers among traditional department-store chains. A substantial renovation in 2007 refreshed the interior with new lighting, flooring, paint, restrooms, and seating areas. The property later underwent a more significant redevelopment connected with Nordstrom's arrival. An initial Nordstrom proposal announced in 2009 was abandoned after General Growth Properties entered bankruptcy proceedings. Nordstrom revived the plan in 2013, leading to the removal of the former Macy's men's and home building, expansion of Macy's, and construction of a new 140,000-square-foot Nordstrom store. Deconstruction began in June 2014, and the project was reported to have a value of approximately $50 million. A construction-site fire delayed work, but Nordstrom opened on October 2, 2015. Ridgedale is generally positioned as an upscale shopping center rather than a purely mass-market mall. Its tenant profile has included luxury and aspirational brands such as Coach, Swarovski, and TUMI, alongside department stores, specialty retailers, restaurants, and services. Its current anchor lineup includes JCPenney, Nordstrom, Macy's, and Dick's House of Sport. Sears closed after its parent company filed for bankruptcy in 2018, and Dick's Sporting Goods opened at the property in 2022. The mall has also had a place in popular culture through a brief appearance or mention associated with the commercially successful 2007 film Juno. Ridgedale remains an active regional retail property managed by Brookfield Properties.
History
Ridgedale Center was developed on land owned by Dayton-Hudson Corporation, which had acquired approximately 81.3 acres in 1964. The project was announced in 1972 and construction began the same year. Environmental groups objected to aspects of the development, but the enclosed mall opened in 1974. Its preliminary names were Oakdale and Twelve Oaks; the final name, Ridgedale, placed it within the Twin Cities' group of shopping centers using the “Dale” naming convention. At opening, the mall contained approximately 1.04 million square feet of retail space and was anchored by Dayton's, Donaldson's, JCPenney, and Sears. The first major changes to the anchor lineup resulted from department-store consolidation. Donaldson's merged with Carson Pirie Scott in 1987, and the Ridgedale store was rebranded. Carson Pirie Scott ultimately left the center in 1995. During the 1990s, Dayton's considered replacing its existing store with a larger building, but those plans were abandoned. Instead, Dayton's occupied the former Carson's location in 1996, creating a second Dayton's anchor focused on men's merchandise and home goods, while the original store emphasized women's and children's merchandise. An attempted Mervyn's redevelopment of the former Carson's building never materialized. Dayton's merged into Marshall Field's in 2001, and Marshall Field's became Macy's in 2006. In early 2007, Ridgedale undertook a multimillion-dollar modernization designed to brighten and refresh the interior. The work included replacement or improvement of lighting, flooring, paint, restrooms, and seating areas, and was completed later that year. The mall also received a brief pop-culture reference connected with the 2007 film Juno. Nordstrom's expansion history at Ridgedale illustrates the effect of broader retail and property-market conditions. Nordstrom announced a planned store in 2009, but the project was later canceled after General Growth Properties, then the mall's owner, filed for bankruptcy. In 2013, Nordstrom confirmed a revised plan for a 140,000-square-foot department store targeted for 2015. The redevelopment required dismantling the former Macy's men's and home store, expanding Macy's from approximately 202,000 to 286,000 square feet, and adding about 85,000 square feet of leasable space intended for additional upscale retail and dining. Deconstruction began on June 4, 2014. A fire at the construction site caused a delay of several weeks, but the new Nordstrom opened on October 2, 2015, with a formal grand-opening event. Sears later became one of the mall's departing anchors. In October 2018, Sears announced that it would close its Ridgedale store as part of a bankruptcy-related plan to shutter 142 locations. The store continued liquidation through the end of that year. In 2022, Dick's Sporting Goods opened at the property, adding a major sporting-goods presence to the anchor mix. Ridgedale Center currently comprises approximately 1,105,337 square feet of leasable retail space and approximately 140 tenants. It is jointly owned by CBRE Group and GGP, the latter now a subsidiary of Brookfield Properties, which also manages the center. Its current anchor stores are JCPenney, Nordstrom, Macy's, and Dick's House of Sport. The mall's brand identity is based on regional accessibility, a department-store foundation, and an upscale tenant mix that has included Coach, Swarovski, and TUMI.
- 2022
Dick's Sporting Goods opens
[1]Dick's Sporting Goods opened at Ridgedale, strengthening the center's sporting-goods offering.
- 2018
Sears closes
[1]Sears shut its Ridgedale location after a bankruptcy-related closure announcement and liquidation period.
- 2015
Nordstrom opens
[1]Nordstrom opened its approximately 140,000-square-foot Ridgedale department store on October 2.
- 2014
Nordstrom redevelopment begins
[1]The former Macy's men's and home store was deconstructed to make room for Nordstrom and additional leasable space.
- 2007
Interior renovation completed
[1]A multimillion-dollar project refreshed the mall's interior and customer amenities.
- 2006
Marshall Field's becomes Macy's
[1]The Ridgedale Marshall Field's locations were converted to Macy's.
- 2001
Dayton's merges into Marshall Field's
[1]The Dayton's stores became part of Marshall Field's through a corporate merger.
- 1996
Dayton's adds a second store
[1]Dayton's opened a second location in the former Carson Pirie Scott space, concentrating on men's apparel and home goods.
- 1995
Carson Pirie Scott leaves the center
[1]The former Donaldson's/Carson Pirie Scott anchor location became available for subsequent redevelopment.
- 1987
Donaldson's becomes Carson Pirie Scott
[1]Donaldson's was converted to Carson Pirie Scott following the two department-store companies' merger.
Products and positioning
An upscale, enclosed regional shopping center combining major department stores, luxury and aspirational specialty brands, dining, and sporting-goods retail for consumers in the western Twin Cities suburbs.
Department store · 2015
Nordstrom
Nordstrom is one of Ridgedale's principal upscale department-store anchors. The approximately 140,000-square-foot store was developed as part of the mall's 2014–2015 expansion and opened on October 2, 2015. Its presence reinforced Ridgedale's positioning toward higher-end apparel, accessories, beauty, footwear, and home merchandise.
Department store · 2006
Macy's
Macy's occupies a major anchor role at Ridgedale. The store lineage traces back to Dayton's, which became Marshall Field's in 2001 and Macy's in 2006. During the Nordstrom redevelopment, Macy's was expanded from approximately 202,000 to approximately 286,000 square feet, consolidating merchandise and increasing its role within the center.
Department store · 1974
JCPenney
JCPenney has been an anchor at Ridgedale since the mall opened in 1974. The department store provides broad apparel, accessories, beauty, home, and family-oriented merchandise and represents the property's long-standing mass-market department-store component alongside its more upscale anchors.
Sporting-goods store · 2022
Dick's House of Sport
Dick's Sporting Goods opened at Ridgedale in 2022 and is identified among the center's current anchor stores as Dick's House of Sport. The offering broadens the mall's tenant mix beyond fashion and department stores with sporting equipment, athletic apparel, footwear, and related recreational merchandise.
Brand decisions
2018
Sears anchor closureOtherBackground
Sears filed for bankruptcy and announced a nationwide program to close 142 stores, including its Ridgedale location.
Action taken
The Ridgedale Sears store conducted a liquidation sale and closed by the end of 2018.
Aftermath
The closure removed one of Ridgedale's original 1974 anchors and contributed to the mall's transition toward newer department-store and specialty anchors.
2013
Ridgedale approves a Nordstrom-centered redevelopmentStrategyBackground
After an earlier Nordstrom proposal was canceled following General Growth Properties' bankruptcy filing, the retailer and property owner revived plans for a new store and broader mall expansion.
Action taken
The redevelopment removed the former Macy's men's and home building, added a planned 140,000-square-foot Nordstrom, expanded Macy's, and created additional leasable space for upscale retail and dining.
Aftermath
Nordstrom opened in October 2015, while Macy's gained a larger consolidated location and Ridgedale strengthened its upscale regional-mall positioning.
Reported redevelopment value. $50 million (2014)
Sources2 sources
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