Come next month, Brookdale will basically be a Sears with a mausoleum tacked on to it.
That’s because yet another anchor, Barnes and Noble, plans to close its doors next month. It’s not economy-related; according to the StarTribune article, they’re succumbing to peer pressure and closing up shop because everyone else is. I don’t blame them.
Last year at this time, Brookdale had all but one of its anchor stores in tact (no Mervyn’s). There was a Macy’s, Steve & Barry’s, Barnes & Noble, and Sears. In general, if a dying mall can keep its anchors, there’s hope.
Today, the anchor stores are all but gone and so is the fantasy of Brookdale’s revival. I highly doubt there will be an Eden Prairie Center-type rejuvination. If a resurgence was going to happen, it would’ve happened in the early 2000′s when the big remodel took place.
Just looking at this mall via Highway 100 & it looks downright spooky, even during the daytime. The old Steve & Barry’s has some sort of mold growing down the face of the building. Macy’s has garbage bags on its doors. The parking lot has no cars and is full of potholes, loose gravel, and trash. The lot fixtures and animal guideposts all have rust on them. If it weren’t for the random delivery trucks at Sears, you’d think this mall was closed.
There isn’t much shopping to be done here anymore. You could say that Brookdale is just one big, glorified bus stop: Shady characters loitering about, while waiting for the #5 Metro Transit bus to arrive. Or blue-haired seniors congregating in the parking lot to board a casino-bound caravan to shove nickels down an “I Dream of Jeanie” slot machine in hopes of either hittin’ the jackpot or having some slapstick adventure to star in a “Grand Casino Story” commerical…like locking yourself out of your room while your hubby gambles away your retirement on a Cleopatra-themed slot machine, and then getting caught by the cleaning lady ( “an Angel”) in the hotel hallway, holding a bucket of ice and wearing your only your nightie. “Not funny!!!”
Anyway.
It’s over folks. 
Board ‘er up and call it a day.
#1 by TheOldScowl on May 6, 2009 - 6:35 pm
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I think there should be a dumpy stripmalls going away party for Brookdale.
#2 by Hilary on May 6, 2009 - 9:02 pm
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Very much enjoy your blog, a kind of catalog of failed development ventures, eh?
Can you imagine the broken up parking lot turned into vegetable gardens & aquaponics in the buildings? Very possible. Just lay enough wood chips and good soil on top of the asphalt and it works. Don’t trust me: visit growingpower.org. Urban gardening & failed malls– might be a great combo.
#3 by Joe on May 7, 2009 - 8:09 am
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If Brookdale was turned into a garden, the only thing that would be grown there would be marijuana and crack.
I think retail could work, because of the proximity to 694,94, and 100. You would have to appeal to commuters and get rid of reasons for the ‘locals’ to go there. For example, take out the ghetto stores such as Twins Town, Big Hairy Deals, etc. Cutting off the bus service would make the biggest difference!
#4 by The Old Scowl on May 7, 2009 - 4:31 pm
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Retail will not be working in the area for some time because of economic conditions. There are a number other lots of real estate in the Brookdale area that are vacant with no takers (with and w/o buildings –’green’ and ‘gray’ fields in real estate/planning speak. One planned hotel/waterpark (Hilton?) near the Earle Brown Farm area was killed by special interests that didn’t want another waterpark nearby in 2005-2006. The city will have to weather some tough times, and maybe Brookdale might get razed, but there will be some sort of commercial development in the next 6-10 years where Brookdale stands, my guess. Will Kohl’s still stay? How about Target? The mind reels.
#5 by Dave on May 8, 2009 - 6:08 am
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Target won’t touch that area with a 10 foot pole… They’ve got a store by Earle Brown, plus others close enough to not want to add another. I agree with the blogger’s comment that the 2000 remodel should have been enough to save it, but face it – you have a perfect storm in this mall: Absentee Ownership; Poor Economy in general; Poor social view of the mall (bad press); And bad location.
RIP Brookdale – First of the Dales to go.
Odds on the next to go:
Southdale – Even
Rosedale – 26 to 1
Ridgedale – 100 to 1
#6 by Dave on May 8, 2009 - 6:12 am
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Joe -
The location is not that great… Yes it is close to 94, 694 and 100… But it is a pain in the backside to get to from any of them except 100. Even then it’s kind of like navigating a maze to get to. And you don’t see it from the south on 100 until you’re past the exit. And signage? I can’t recall the last time that I saw a sign (State one) for Brookdale. Even Southdale has one on 494!
Dave
#7 by Joe on May 8, 2009 - 8:15 am
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Good point – I agree that it’s probably a lost cause! What a shame – there really isn’t a “real” mall in the northwest metro. (Arbor Lakes is great on a nice day, but what about the dead of winter?!)
I DO think that something could/should be done for Southdale. Southdale is getting worse by the day – but they at least have the benefit of being in an excellent part of town. I still believe that bus service is a problem. I know that sounds mean, but go to any bus stop at any mall – you’ll see trouble! Southdale used to be so nice, and its sad to see it go downhill. I think it can be attributed to poor/absent management and easy access by inner-city youth.
I think Rosedale and Ridgedale are holding thier own.
#8 by dumpystripmalls on May 8, 2009 - 8:49 am
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Yeah, there actually is a state sign for Brookdale off of I-94 Eastbound (saw it just a few days ago), but coming from that location, it’s not easy to get to, since you have to navigate down Brooklyn Blvd to get to Brookdale.
#9 by The Old Scowl on May 8, 2009 - 4:57 pm
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There is or was a sign for Brookdale Center on Highway 100 (southbound) just after the merging of Humbolt Ave. southbound with 100. At least the FBI will be able to get there lickety split (about 200 yards closer than the BCPD) if there is a crime that they can have jurisdiction over, provided that Brookdale makes it through 2010 when the regional office is finished where the Holiday Inn, Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden had been!
#10 by Patrick on May 11, 2009 - 1:34 pm
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I know the State of MN does not give tax credits for shooting movies here but Brookdale Center should start soliciting the space for movie shoots. Maybe the next mall zombie movie?
I think the days of the large indoor malls are gone. Too much hassle. Look at the successful expansions to Southdale and Rosedale, they both look like strip mall, sidewalk style shopping projecting out the side of the old mall enclosure.
#11 by DeKay on August 17, 2009 - 10:47 pm
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Grew up going to Brookdale. Screw y’all, it was the shit in the sixties and seventies. I say tear it down, but please do not turn it into a phony main street like they did with Apache Plaza. That would be something we will see in a blog like this twenty years from now. I say turn into a park or a community garden and resurrect Earle Brown Farm.
http://www.thebrooklyns.com/Brown.html
#12 by The Old Scowl on October 13, 2009 - 3:26 pm
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I found out last week (though more people must know this) that Brookdale is in foreclosure. Anyone else hear this earlier as well?
#13 by Disco Studd on October 14, 2009 - 4:36 am
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Here’s a posting from Wikipedia on B-Dale:
“There are now plans in the works to bring a Rainbow Foods to the space that once housed Macy’s. This will be by far the largest Rainbow Foods at over 167,000sq ft. and it will have the first RF auto center and gas station. The plans have been bought to the city and there is a hearing planned for September 29th. There has also been talk of late to convert most of the mall into a discount type power center this has proved fruitful in some major metro markets. The plans would see a major expansion of the food court into what was once Barnes and Noble and removal of most of the roof though the main mall hallways to allow for an open air market feel.”
Remove the roof for a more open air market feel?!? Why not just tear the whole damn thing down and start over?
#14 by Kara on November 4, 2009 - 2:00 pm
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Where did you get this quote? I am on the planning commission and had not heard this. I would like to follow up…
#15 by Kara on November 4, 2009 - 2:03 pm
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Never mind, I see it on Wikipedia now. I am going to see if I can confirm this…
#16 by Jason on February 8, 2010 - 7:55 am
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Remove the roof? What would they do in the winter? Talk like this reminds me of an article I read from the 70′s about all the plans to add on to old Metropolitan Stadium where the Twins were playing. The article mentioned that plans were being discussed about putting in roof top seating, a second stadium club, extending three decks from foul pole to foul pole, and possibly installing a domed roof. At the old MET! Who were they kidding? The place was torn down a few years later. They can talk all they want about rejuvenating Brookdale, but it will never happen!
#17 by The Old Scowl on February 26, 2010 - 6:25 pm
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Here’s some recent news on the auctioning off of Brookdale Center. Funny, I heard from a city council member at a neighborhood meeting that there were at least half a dozen interested parties at a postponed auction for Brookdale in January. Whatever will Brookdale’s future be? The council member was certain that it was not the future site of a Viking’s stadium (nor was any ‘burb a likely location–he felt that it would stay in Minneapolis).
Lenders Bid $12.5M for Foreclosed Brookdale Center
Updated: Friday, 26 Feb 2010, 12:21 PM CST
Published : Friday, 26 Feb 2010, 12:22 PM CST
MINNEAPOLIS – The Hennepin County sheriff’s office foreclosure auction of Brookdale Shopping Center drew only one bid, with the mall’s lender offering $12.5 million Friday.
Brookdale Mall H H LLC takes on the Brooklyn Center, Minn. shopping center, which has $54 million due on its mortgage. Current owner Brooks Mall Properties of Coral Gables, Florida has 60 days to pay off the note or sell.
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/brookdale-center-foreclosure-auction-feb-26-2010
#18 by Darin on March 2, 2010 - 11:34 am
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Great post summarizing the history of Brookdale here :
http://www.labelscar.com/minnesota/brookdale-center