Seven Points
Seven Points is an indoor shopping center in Minneapolis's Uptown district, formerly known as Calhoun Square.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Seven Points is an indoor shopping center at the southeast corner of Hennepin Avenue and West Lake Street in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It occupies a prominent site at the central intersection of the city's Uptown district and was developed through the renovation and integration of several older buildings, including the historic Geanakoplos Building, constructed in 1917. The project emerged from an early-1980s redevelopment effort led by local developer Ray Harris and opened to the public on February 15, 1984. Before its 2020 renaming, the property was known as Calhoun Square. The original development reflected the period's preference for enclosed, atrium-style shopping centers, while its location in an established urban neighborhood gave it a different character from the large suburban malls that influenced its design. Community response was mixed during the development process. Neighborhood activists organized the “Dump Updale” campaign, a name that combined “Uptown” with the “-dale” suffix associated with suburban Twin Cities shopping malls such as Southdale Center and Ridgedale Center. The campaign expressed concern about the project's scale and its potential effect on the existing neighborhood fabric. Harris completed the renovation and construction work in 1983 and retained ownership until 2004, when he sold the property to an investment group based in Des Moines, Iowa. In 2007, an affiliate of BlackRock acquired the center for $47.3 million. A renovation completed in 2008 helped attract a broader tenant mix, including national and international retailers and fitness and home-furnishings operators such as LA Fitness, H&M, and CB2. Local developer Stuart Ackerberg acquired the property from BlackRock in 2014. His ownership group sought to restore a stronger local identity and the energy associated with the center's early years, when independent operators formed a larger share of its tenant base. The Ackerberg Group carried out an interior remodel in 2015. The property changed hands again in October 2019, when Chicago-based investment firm Northpond Partners purchased it for $34.5 million. The most consequential change in the center's recent history was its name change. On June 19, 2020, the owners announced plans to remove the Calhoun Square name because it honored John C. Calhoun, a prominent defender of slavery. The decision followed the renaming of nearby Lake Calhoun as Bde Maka Ska in 2017 and occurred amid broader public debate about racial history and memorial names after the murder of George Floyd. On October 21, 2020, the owners announced the new name, Seven Points. The name refers to the pointed sign positioned on the building's roof. Alongside the renaming, the owners described a conceptual redevelopment program involving an outdoor plaza, a market-oriented store, and flexible mixed-use space that could accommodate retail, offices, and residential uses. Seven Points therefore represents both a shopping-center property and an evolving urban redevelopment project. Its history combines adaptive reuse, changing ownership, neighborhood retail strategy, public debate over place names, and efforts to maintain a commercially relevant presence in Uptown Minneapolis.
History
The property now called Seven Points developed from an early-1980s attempt to renew a prominent commercial intersection in Minneapolis's Uptown neighborhood. Local developer Ray Harris assembled and renovated a group of older structures, including the 1917 Geanakoplos Building, into an atrium-style enclosed shopping center. Construction and renovation were completed in 1983, and the center opened on February 15, 1984, under the name Calhoun Square. The proposal encountered opposition from neighborhood activists who feared that the redevelopment would import the character of large suburban malls into Uptown. Their “Dump Updale” campaign used a wordplay combining “Uptown” with the “-dale” ending associated with Twin Cities suburban shopping centers, including Southdale Center and Ridgedale Center. Despite the criticism, the project became an established retail destination at Hennepin Avenue and West Lake Street. Harris remained the owner until 2004, when the mall was sold to a Des Moines investment group. In 2007, an affiliate of BlackRock acquired the center for $47.3 million. A renovation in 2008 repositioned the property with a wider selection of tenants, including LA Fitness, H&M, and CB2. These additions reflected an effort to combine neighborhood convenience and lifestyle retail with recognizable national and international brands. In 2014, Stuart Ackerberg acquired the property for local ownership. Ackerberg expressed an intention to recover the local energy and distinctive character associated with the center's 1980s period, when independent businesses played a more prominent role. The Ackerberg Group completed an interior remodel in 2015. The property's cultural visibility also extended beyond retail: musician Prince wrote a song titled “Calhoun Square,” which appeared on the second disc of his Crystal Ball album. Northpond Partners, a Chicago-based investment firm, purchased the building for $34.5 million in October 2019. The following year, the property underwent a significant identity change. On June 19, 2020, its owners announced that the Calhoun Square name would be retired because it commemorated John C. Calhoun, a known defender of slavery. The decision followed the 2017 renaming of nearby Lake Calhoun to Bde Maka Ska and took place amid intensified public examination of racial symbolism after George Floyd's murder. On October 21, 2020, the owners announced Seven Points as the new name. They explained that it referred to the pointed rooftop sign and stated that a property named for a defender of slavery was inappropriate for Minneapolis. The renaming was paired with a conceptual vision for an outdoor plaza, a market store, and flexible mixed-use space incorporating retail, offices, and residential components. The Seven Points identity consequently marks a transition from a historically controversial name toward a contemporary urban-development concept while retaining the property's role as an Uptown commercial landmark.
- 2020
Property renamed Seven Points
[1]The owners announced the new identity on October 21 after deciding to retire the Calhoun Square name.
- 2019
Northpond Partners acquisition
[1]Northpond Partners purchased the building for $34.5 million in October.
- 2015
Interior remodel completed
[1]The Ackerberg Group completed an interior remodeling program.
- 2014
Local ownership returns
[1]Stuart Ackerberg purchased the property from BlackRock.
- 2008
Tenant-focused renovation
[1]A renovation helped the center attract operators including LA Fitness, H&M, and CB2.
- 2007
BlackRock affiliate acquisition
[1]An affiliate of BlackRock acquired the center for $47.3 million.
- 2004
First ownership transfer
[1]Ray Harris sold the property to an investment group based in Des Moines, Iowa.
- 1984
Calhoun Square opens
[1]The shopping center opened on February 15 at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and West Lake Street.
- 1983
Redevelopment completed
[1]Ray Harris completed the renovation and construction work that created the enclosed, atrium-style shopping center.
- 1917
Geanakoplos Building constructed
[1]The Geanakoplos Building, one of the older structures later incorporated into the shopping-center project, was built.
Products and positioning
An urban, neighborhood-oriented shopping center and mixed-use redevelopment property serving Minneapolis's Uptown district. Its positioning combines retail, dining, fitness, and lifestyle uses with adaptive reuse of historic structures and a more locally rooted identity than a conventional suburban mall.
Indoor shopping center · 1984
Seven Points shopping center
The core offering is a multi-tenant indoor shopping center serving the Uptown Minneapolis area. It combines retail and service tenants within a redeveloped collection of older urban buildings and has historically included fitness, apparel, home-furnishings, dining, and specialty operators.
Urban development · 2020
Seven Points mixed-use redevelopment concept
The owners' post-2020 concept included an outdoor plaza, a market store, and flexible space capable of supporting retail, offices, and residential uses. The concept positions the property as more than an enclosed mall and reflects an effort to integrate it with the surrounding urban neighborhood.
Marketing campaigns
- 1980Dump Updale
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Neighborhood activists opposed the proposed Uptown redevelopment and organized the “Dump Updale” campaign. The name criticized the perceived suburban-mall direction of the project by combining “Uptown” with the “-dale” naming pattern used by Twin Cities suburban shopping centers.
Outcome. The redevelopment proceeded, was completed in 1983, and opened as Calhoun Square in 1984.
Brand decisions
2020
Retirement of the Calhoun Square nameStrategyBackground
The owners reassessed the property's name because it honored John C. Calhoun, a prominent advocate of slavery. The decision followed the renaming of nearby Lake Calhoun as Bde Maka Ska and occurred amid heightened public discussion of racial history and public symbols.
Action taken
The owners announced Seven Points as the new name in October 2020, referring to the pointed sign on the roof. They also outlined a concept involving an outdoor plaza, a market store, and flexible retail, office, and residential space.
Aftermath
The property adopted the Seven Points identity and was presented as a contemporary, mixed-use-oriented urban destination rather than a center carrying the Calhoun name.
2008
Tenant-mix expansion after renovationOtherBackground
Following the 2007 acquisition by a BlackRock affiliate, the center underwent a renovation intended to improve its commercial offer.
Action taken
The property added or attracted larger national and international names, including LA Fitness, H&M, and CB2.
Aftermath
The tenant mix became more diverse and included recognizable national and international operators alongside neighborhood-oriented businesses.
Recent events
- 2020
Calhoun Square owners announce plans to change the property's name[1]
Other
The owners said the Calhoun Square name would be removed because it honored John C. Calhoun, a prominent slavery advocate. The announcement came during a period of national and local debate over historical names and monuments.
- 2020
Calhoun Square becomes Seven Points[1]
Other
The property owners formally announced Seven Points as the center's new name. They linked the name to the pointed sign on the building's roof and presented a concept involving an outdoor plaza, market space, and flexible mixed-use development.
- 2019
Northpond Partners purchases the shopping center[1]
M&A
Chicago-based investment firm Northpond Partners acquired the property in October 2019, before the center's subsequent rebranding as Seven Points.
- 2007
BlackRock affiliate acquires Calhoun Square[1]
M&A
An affiliate of BlackRock bought the property for $47.3 million. A later renovation expanded the tenant mix and brought in larger national and international operators.
Sources1 sources
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