Nicollet Mall facts for kids
Nicollet Mall is a special street in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's about twelve blocks long and is a popular place for shopping and eating. It's also a unique street because only buses, taxis, and emergency vehicles are allowed on it, making it a "pedestrian and transit mall." This means it's super friendly for people walking and using public transport! Along with Hennepin Avenue, Nicollet Mall is a main center for culture and business in Minneapolis.
Many important buildings are found here, like the IDS Center, the big former Dayton's store, Orchestra Hall, and the Hennepin County Library. The local CBS TV station, WCCO-TV, also broadcasts from studios on the Mall. Big companies like Target Corporation and US Bank have their main offices here. In the summer, there's a farmers' market on Thursdays. In winter, the "Holidazzle Village" brings festive fun to the Mall.
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History of Nicollet Mall
By the early 1900s, Nicollet Avenue was already known as Minneapolis's main shopping street. Many large department stores like Donaldson's and Dayton's opened here. Elizabeth Quinlan, who was the first woman clothing buyer in the country, also opened her store on Nicollet.
The city's first business area was near Nicollet and Hennepin Avenues. This area was called Bridge Square. As Minneapolis grew, this area became very busy. Businesses started moving south from Washington Avenue. In the early 1900s, people bought goods at the city market there. Later, a park called Gateway Park was built, but it was removed in 1953.
In the 1950s, city leaders wanted to improve downtown. They approved a big project called the Gateway Center Urban Renewal in 1958. At the same time, shopping habits were changing. People started going to shopping centers in the suburbs. For example, Southdale Center, the first modern enclosed shopping mall, opened nearby in 1956. To help downtown compete, two big things happened: the famous skyway system was built, and Nicollet Mall was created.
The plan for Nicollet Mall was approved in 1962. Construction started in 1967 and finished that November. It cost about $3.875 million. The Mall was originally eight blocks long. It was designed with curves and trees, and cars were not allowed. It was updated again in 1990, costing $22 million.
In 2015, a two-year, $50-million renovation began. This project added more green spaces and made it easier for people to walk around and connect to nearby areas. Nicollet Mall is famous for being the first transit mall in the United States. It inspired other cities like Portland, Oregon, and Denver, Colorado, to create similar streets.
Nicollet Mall Today
The Dayton's department store at 7th & Nicollet changed its name to Marshall Field's in 2001, and then to Macy's in 2006. It closed in 2017 and is now being turned into an indoor shopping mall that will open in 2020. In late 2019, the old Dayton's sign was even put back up! Target Corporation, which came from Dayton's, has a big presence here. Their main office is at 10th Street, and they have a two-level store at 9th Street.
You can also find Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th here. It used to be the only Saks Fifth Avenue store in the Twin Cities. It's now one of the biggest Saks Off 5th stores in the country. Other stores are located in buildings like the Crystal Court, Minneapolis City Center, and Gaviidae Common. However, many of these places are quiet on weekends and close early on weekdays. City Center has a few shops like GNC and Hallmark. Brooks Brothers also reopened there recently.
Over the years, some big clothing brands have left Nicollet Mall. But some still remain, like Gap, Banana Republic, Men's Wearhouse, and the Brooks Brothers store. Other shops are smaller local stores or specialty shops. The department stores Macy's and Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet are still on the Mall. Since 2000, a century-old men's clothing store called Hubert White has been inside the IDS Center. They sell fancy men's clothes.
Besides Target, other big companies like U.S. Bancorp and Xcel Energy have their main offices on Nicollet. WCCO-TV (CBS Channel 4) broadcasts from studios at the south end of the Mall. They even have a news studio on the first floor where you can see inside!
Since Nicollet Mall is a transit mall, many Metro Transit buses use it. Only buses, taxis, and emergency vehicles are allowed on the two-lane road. Bikes can use it during non-rush hours on weekdays.
Metro Transit also offers light rail service at the Nicollet Mall station. You can catch the Blue Line or Green Line here. The Blue Line, which opened in 2004, connects downtown Minneapolis to the airport and the Mall of America in Bloomington. The Green Line, opened in 2014, connects downtown Minneapolis to the University of Minnesota and downtown St. Paul. Metro Transit also has a free bus that goes around Nicollet Mall, from the Minneapolis Convention Center to the Nicollet Mall station.
The Loring Greenway connects the south end of the Mall to nearby Loring Park.
Holidazzle Parades and Village
The Holidazzle Parades used to be a series of evening parades on Nicollet Mall. They happened from the day after Thanksgiving until a few days before Christmas. These parades started in the early 1990s to help bring more business to downtown stores.
Big companies like Macy's and Target Corporation helped sponsor these parades.
In 2013, the parades were stopped. Instead, a new German-style Christmas market called "Holidazzle Village" was created. This village first took place on Nicollet Mall at Peavey Plaza. It featured live music, fireworks, and vendors selling local and international goods. In 2015, it moved to Loring Park and still runs between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
A made-up version of the parade appeared in the 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger movie Jingle All The Way. In the movie, it was called the "Wintertainment Parade." It was shown during the day, not at night, and was not filmed in Minneapolis, even though much of the movie was shot in the area.
Images for kids
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Target store ceiling in Nicollet Mall store
