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It was envisioned that Southdale would become the central gathering place not only for the residents of the city of Edina, but also for the greater Twin Cities area. Southdale was designed from the viewpoint of the future. The creators of Southdale understood that in the future, consumers would demand convenience and variety. To this end, Southdale was designed to provide many useful services all under one roof. These services included everything from a Post Office, to a grocery store, to an up-scale apparel store[?].
When Southdale opened, it became a gathering place for area residents, just as was envisioned. Over the years, Southdale hosted gem, boat and fine art shows, as well as served as host for charity and community events. Southdale was even the host-site for an episode of the Truth Or Consequences[?] game show.
Southdale was the site for many firsts in the shopping mall arena. Besides being completely enclosed and climate-controlled, Southdale was also the first United States shopping mall to feature two competing department stores under the same roof, as well as the first to feature original works of art hanging on the walls. The architect of Southdale, Victor Gruen[?], believed the key to Southdale’s success lie in making sure an atmosphere of leisure, excitement, and intimacy was created. To achieve this, Gruen placed works of art, decorative lighting[?], fountains[?], tropical plants[?], and flowers throughout the mall.
In 2002, Southdale Center took on a new look with the completion of two projects: Trendz On Top, an area for the young and fashion savvy shopper, and The District on France, a combination retail, entertainment, and dining experience.
Over 15 million shoppers visit Southdale’s 130 retailers each year. Southdale’s anchor stores include J.C. Penney, Marshall Field’s, Marshall’s, and Mervyn’s.
The Mall of America, located in nearby Bloomington, is said to be the largest shopping mall in the USA.
The claim that Southdale is, in fact, the first fully enclosed shopping center has been disputed.
wikipedia.org dumped 2003-03-17 with terodump