Four Seasons Mall facts for kids
An entrance to Four Seasons Mall
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| Location | Plymouth, Minnesota, US |
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| Coordinates | 45°01′53.7″N 93°24′11.5″W / 45.031583°N 93.403194°W |
| Address | 4108 Lancaster Lane North |
| Opening date | 1978 |
| Closing date | February 29, 2012 |
| Developer | RMF Group |
| Owner | INH Properties |
| No. of stores and services | 26 |
| Total retail floor area | 117,000 square feet (11,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 |
The Four Seasons Mall was a shopping mall located in Plymouth, Minnesota. This city is a suburb of the Twin Cities area. It had about 117,000 square feet of space. There were around 26 stores inside.
The mall first opened its doors in 1978. The very last store closed on February 29, 2012. Today, the building is empty. It's known as a dead mall, which means it's no longer used for shopping.
Over the years, Four Seasons Mall was home to many local businesses. These included different restaurants and small shops. Even though the mall is closed, some events still happen there. These events include arts and crafts shows and even pet Olympics.
Contents
The Mall's Early Years
The Four Seasons Mall opened in 1978. It quickly became a popular spot for people living in Plymouth, Minnesota. The mall was built on 22 acres of land. However, parts of the land were surrounded by wetlands. This meant it wasn't ideal for a very big shopping center.
The RMF Group developed the mall. This company had also built other shopping centers nearby. In 1996, a group of investors bought the mall for $2.7 million. An arts and crafts store opened in 1988. A Christmas-themed shop also opened in 2002.
The mall was once a place where people could park their cars. They would then take a bus to the Holidazzle Parade. It was also a park and ride spot for Plymouth Metrolink buses. This continued until 2008. After that, the mall and Metrolink could not agree on a new parking contract.
By 2010, about half of the mall's stores were empty. The stores that remained included a natural foods store. There was also a Thai restaurant and an Italian restaurant.
Plans for a New Store
As the mall became less popular, Walmart showed interest in the site. They wanted to build a new store there. Contractors for Walmart looked at the mall's land. They made different plans for how to use the site.
Surveyors found the land suitable for a large Walmart Supercenter. This would have been about 240,000 square feet. But officials in Plymouth were not happy with this idea. They did not want a big-box store in their community. Walmart then agreed to build a smaller store. It would have been about 87,000 square feet. But the city still said no to the plan.
Water Improvement Projects
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, projects worked to improve the water. This water was used by the mall's tenants. Nearby Northwood Lake was part of these projects. Several channels between the lake and the mall had worn away. These channels provided water to a large area in Plymouth.
Different ideas were considered to improve the water quality. These included ponding, stream restoration, and flow restriction. By mid-2015, all these improvement projects were finished. The channel work took two years to complete.
Why the Mall Closed
The mall regularly hosted arts and crafts shows. But more and more stores became empty each year. This led the mall's owners to put the building up for sale. On November 30, 2010, Walmart bought the entire mall. They paid $10.6 million for it.
Two years after Walmart bought the land, the mall's last store closed. This was Marcello's Pizza. It had been open for 28 years. Lisa Pieper, one of the owners, said they "had no choice but to close." Walmart would not let them renew their lease. Other final stores included Marcello's, Curves International, and a family-owned Asian restaurant.
In January 2015, the plans for a Walmart Supercenter fell apart. Walmart announced they would sell the shopping center. Plymouth city council member Ginny Black said Walmart's decision was "disappointing." When the mall was resold in 2015, INH Properties bought the entire site.
The City of Plymouth has created many ideas for the site. Most of these plans are like lifestyle centers. They would include both retail stores and homes. However, many residents of Plymouth are still against tearing down Four Seasons Mall.
Future Plans for the Site
A housing developer named Dominium announced a big plan. They want to spend $130 million to change the Four Seasons Mall site. Their plan includes building affordable housing. It also has a small amount of retail space. There would also be a parking ramp.
According to the city of Plymouth, Dominium's project would include a senior apartment building. This building would be five stories tall. It would have 210 apartments and cost $58 million. The plan also calls for two four-story buildings. These would have 220 apartments and cost about $65 million. The housing units would have over 500 parking spots. These would be both above ground and underground.
The project also includes a public park and ride ramp. This ramp would have 229 parking spots. Finally, the plan sets aside space for small retail stores or offices. There would also be a bank, two drive-through restaurants, and a healthcare clinic.
