Compared to Target's new architectural design, the Greatland stores look pretty dated
Stores come and go, such is life. You come to expect closings from nail salons, dollar stores, or lately, your neighborhood Starbucks. When that store is Target, it’s quite a surprise.
The Maple Grove Target Greatland opened in 1998 and only nine years later, shut down. If you leave it at that, it’s pretty odd. Target closing up its only store in a flourishing suburb? What’s going on here? Is this some sort of experiment by the government?
Conspiracy theorists, put away your tinfoil hats; the explanation is simple. Target wanted to compete with the nearby Wal-Mart Super Center and couldn’t do that in its current spot. Much like a growing hermit crab in search of a new shell, Target did not have enough room in the building to grow into a SuperTarget. The Greatland closed in October 2007 to move eastward into a more size-appropriate structure. Also helping coax Target into relocation was a nearby retail development called “The Grove”, a new hospital, and a Home Deport — all promising high retail traffic by an idealistic developer.
According to an article dated December 2007, the old Target store was supposed to be redeveloped into several smaller retail spaces but these plans never materialized and the building still stands empty today. What will become of this I-94 eyesore? My anticipation is growing by the day.
If you’re not familiar with this area, Target Greatland Maple Grove did not have a bad location. With a Rainbow Foods next door, a Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club/Menards across the street, and an adjacent strip mall, there’s a considerable amount of traffic in this area. While it might be a bit out of the way from the bustling Arbor Lakes area, this seems like a great location. Maple Grove isn’t all about Arbor Lakes, you know 
. Isn’t it all about location, location, location?
When the Maple Grove store opened in 1998, Target had no plans on putting SuperTargets in Minnesota. Target was hell-bent to continue opening regular stores and Greatlands in the late ’90s/early ’00s, which resulted in a lot of remodeling projects later this decade. In the ’90s, the concept of a SuperTarget was puzzling to most Minnesotans. A store where you could buy baby wipes, Nair, Honors sweatpants, Mossimo flip flops, ground beef, a bag of apples, and a jug of orange juice— all in the same trip? Blasphemy!
In 1997, some of my geeky Target friends and I took a ROAD TRIP to Des Moines, Iowa for the sole purpose of going to Super Target. We took pictures, toured the store, and shook hands with the manager — it wasn’t even a work-sanctioned trip! We just wanted the chance to buy sunglasses, mascara, and grapes and have it all on the same receipt. Yes, I was that much of a nerd. A Super Target as a tourist attraction is laughable now (fuck, I shop there 3+ times/week now), but back then, Target-as-a-Grocery-Store concept was full of mystique and wonder. To me, anyway. Why am I admitting this? Fuck.
The hustle & bustle of the area
What’s so great about a Greatland? Well, not much. The Greatland stores were larger than your traditional Targets and carried a bigger selection of goods. That’s pretty much it. They did not carry a full line of groceries. They did sell a good amount of junk food, a sparse selection of canned goods, boxed dinner mixes, and cereal. You know, the kind of hoard-able food with a long shelf-life you could keep on-hand in case of Armageddon, like some screwball cat lady.
As I’ve mentioned before, Target no longer opens new stores under the “Greatland” name — it’s either a SuperTarget or a regular Target. With the uptrend in opening new (or remodoling old stores into) SuperTargets and stocking regular stores with more grocery goods, Greatlands are no longer relevand and have gone the way of the pager, WebRings, and Limp Bizkit, although there are still Target Greatland stores out there.
Today, the Maple Grove SuperTarget is up and running in its new location, right next door to a closed Slumberland store. No surpise there. Home Depot and Office Max are also in this area and both sport empty parking lots, even during prime shopping hours.
Just what Maple Grove needs...MORE STORES
The Grove looks like a ghost town — over 75% of the store fronts are empty. The stores that are there aren’t anything to write home about — Great Clips, Chipotle, and a Subway. So much for all that high traffic, huh? The whole area is kind of spooky. It’s neatly landscaped, lots of park benches, hanging geranium baskets, dancing fountains, pewter statues of kids playing leapfrog…but there’s no one around to enjoy any of it. If it weren’t for the gurgling fountains and the occasional giggle from customers eating burritos at Chipotle’s outdoor patio, the area would be completely silent.
One of my readers had this to say regarding this entire area in the comments of the Coon Rapids abandoned Target store post:
The new digs
“Target in MG closed west of 94 because Ryan(the developer) promised them prime site and new Arbor Lakes storefronts along with a hospital to get them to move east of 94. It will be a big deal and good location once the hospital gets going in Dec 2009. However, the economy has changed the face of real estate (especially retail) for the next five to seven years — it takes that long to plan, permit develop and build-out centers… Big box Slumberland has already opened and closed at “The Grove”. The ghostly empty storefronts are just an indication of too many retail stores and an exhausted consumer.”
Thank you, Mike!
Will anything become of The Grove or was this just a pie-in-the-sky daydream by a starry-eyed developer? If anything, I suppose we can expect a bunch of smoke shops, perfumeries, a cheap buffet restaurant, and a DEB to move in soon.
Photos taken June 2009
#1 by Jake on July 31, 2009 - 10:20 pm
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The hope is the “Grove” will be a better business hub when the 610 Freeway connects with I-94, but that’s not till around 2014-15.
#2 by Disco Studd on July 31, 2009 - 10:23 pm
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Not to divert attention away from Maple Grove, but after all this talk about SuperTarget and WalMart Supercenters, I’m wondering if anybody remembers Holiday Plus? (Or Holiday Village as it was called before that.) One of the original locations was right next to the old Cattle Company in Fridley, and the one we shopped at was in Plymouth right off of 169 (County Rd 18 as it was called back then) and Rockford Rd. Holiday Plus was definitely 20 years ahead of its time, as you could buy groceries, electronics, clothes (if you dared buy anything that was less stylish than the threads they peddle at Fleet Farm) and hunting/camping gear all under one roof! The first time I visited a SuperWallyWorld (in Orlando, FL) I immediately thought of Holiday Plus!
I remember sometime in the early 90′s, Sid Applebaum (the guy that started the Rainbow Foods chain) bought out the Holiday Plus stores and converted them all to full-fledged grocery stores called, appropriately enough, Sid’s Foods. Within a year, ole Sid went bankrupt and sold the stores to Cub Foods. The one in Fridley is still standing as Cub Foods, and although they’ve re-done the front facade of the store, if you go around the side, you can still see the remnants of one of HP’s side entrances.
Anyway, I went to the SuperWallyWorld in MG sometime last year, and was wondering why that Target building was sitting vacant. Thanks for the explanation!
#3 by TheOldScowl on August 1, 2009 - 8:10 pm
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With that prime real estate sitting there empty, Goodwill in Maple Grove could move a few hundred yards into the old Target store and increase it’s floor space. They could call it ‘SuperGoodwill’ or ‘Goodwill Greatland’, and start to sell the big items that get donated the Goodwill/Easter Seals charity, like boats and motor scooters. Or if they developer does divide up that space, they could make it a combination of thrift stores. I am already having soft edged, pink hued visions of a strip mall with all of the area’s thrift stores in it. ARC’s Value Village (and I have my 20% discount coupons on me), Earth Exchange, a Salvation Army thrift store, the Unique Thrift Store, Savers, and there can be a Mike’s Foods west annex here. Throw in a couple more ‘upscale’ places like Tuesday Morning, and it gets rounded out nicely. How about a Half Price Books? The idea is the same (bargains). If only COMB and Banks were still here, there could be some big anchors.
But this vision is too ambitious. I think it should go to a place with the space for a superproject. Someplace farther east, like my cherished Brookdale. And it can be named Thriftdale or Dealsdale. It could be the proverbial middle finger directed at conspicuous consumption of the original regional mall, if some are inclined to look for artistic or political symbolism in shopping (who said “Any time I hear the word ‘culture’, I pull out my credit card”?). Well, rant off, if that was one.
#4 by mygypsynature aka Tracy Jo - 1961 on August 2, 2009 - 10:55 am
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Gawd Dam! – Absolutely I remember Holiday Village – I was a wee lass and there was oodles and oodles of furniture on the upper deck and it was big and sparse and nothing to fancy, groceries too – now, on to that abandoned Target – if it’s the one I’m thinking of they were planning that thing for many many years. I lived on Dunkirk Lane ( 8677 ) when it had just become Dunkirk Lane and I believe they put that target just up from the Kitterman Farm which was still there sticking out like a remnant from the past right next to the little cemetery. I’ve been in RI for eleven years now but I don’t recall this Target being a viable operation for too long and when I saw the collosal beast built in Rogers I wondered why they needed this Target at all? Anyway – I’ll be visiting the whole area at the end of this month. My 30th year class reunion is happening in Osseo, MN and we’re having a family reunion in Isanti, MN the next day. I can’t wait to see all this stuff in the flesh – I’ll be in your fine state for over two weeks – CANT WAIT!
#5 by Beth on August 3, 2009 - 11:08 am
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I remember Holiday Plus! I was pretty little when that went under, but we lived less than a mile from there. I got my first bike there actually! And I remember that they sold clothes which was odd even to me as a five year old! Too funny.
#6 by Tim G on August 3, 2009 - 2:07 pm
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As of Dec. 2007 they were still trying to fill the old Target space as one big box and the city was resisting breaking it up. Then, in January of 2008 the MG City Council did approve a concept plan to let the developer divide up the space with separate entrances for each store, and add something freestanding in the parking lot such as fast-food or gas/convenience. Then the economy really went to sh**.
Roundy’s/Rainbow is hurtin’ by most accounts and rumors… so who knows how long that will survive.
The new Office Max by Target/Slumberland/Home Depot is now closed too.
Tim G.
#7 by admin on August 3, 2009 - 2:17 pm
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No way!! The Office Max is already closed too? I didn’t even notice it was closed when I was up there shopping at Target about 2 weeks ago.
#8 by Jake on August 4, 2009 - 6:57 pm
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When I first came to minnesota in ’83, our family did its shopping at the Holiday Plus in Richfield on Penn (or Lyndale?) avenue. I haven’t been back in that area since the mid-90′s, so I’m not sure if the building is still there, or not.
#9 by Tim G on August 5, 2009 - 11:02 am
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I heard a rumor at NNO last night that Bobby and Steve’s Autoworld might go into that old MG Target lot. JUST A RUMOR though.
#10 by Dave E on August 5, 2009 - 9:13 pm
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Is there ANYTHING in Maple Grove beyond retail shopping?! That suburb amazes me.
#11 by Tim G on August 6, 2009 - 3:28 pm
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Dave E: houses, schools, parks and churches. Interestingly there is not a funeral home or a car dealer in MG… yet.
Re my earlier post #9: Bobby and Steve’s is just one of many potential options for the old MG Target parking lot space. Sonic Burger has also been mentioned as well as a few others. I don’t think anything has been officially proposed yet.
#12 by gweilo845 on August 8, 2009 - 5:44 pm
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“When I first came to minnesota in ‘83, our family did its shopping at the Holiday Plus in Richfield on Penn (or Lyndale?) avenue. I haven’t been back in that area since the mid-90’s, so I’m not sure if the building is still there, or not.”
It was actually in Bloomington, on 84th and Lyndale. One of my first jobs was being an overnight cashier there – ran into some interesting characters, that;s for sure.
The building is still there, but it was changed into a Cub a few years ago.
#13 by Jill on September 26, 2009 - 12:23 pm
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It was Sid’s Holiday Foods when I moved to Fridley in 1998. The “non-food” part of Holiday had been sectioned off and turned into a Gander Mountain (which closed a few years ago when they built a big Gander Mountain up Hwy 65 in Blaine.) Later that year, it changed to Cub.
I remember shopping at Holiday a few times because it was close to my house, but it was a pretty dumpy store then. Much improved when Cub moved in. In fact, I liked that Cub much better than the Northtown one, which had a strange layout. (They did a big remodeling project since then that did improve things a bit, or else I’ve gotten used to it.)
#14 by Chad on December 12, 2009 - 12:16 am
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Of course, the recession played a major role in the vacancies at The Grove. Things were actually going quite well for the development, until the economy bottomed out. Preliminary lease agreements were retracted and most of the Village (the central, Main-Street area) is vacant. The hospital will no doubt help to attract more business there when it opens in a couple of weeks. This will be the next Arbor Lakes, but for the north side of Maple Grove. Even Target refers to this location as SuperTarget – Maple Grove North, suggesting that they might build a Maple Grove South at some point in the future.
There is no doubt that the Maple Grove trade area has some of the highest-income households in the metro area, with little upscale competition nearby. The closest affluent shopping center would be Ridgedale, and then Southdale/Galleria, which are each 20+ minutes away. Several major roadways (I-94/694, I-494, County Road 101, County Road 81, County Road 30, Highway 169, future Highway 610, and so on) bisect Maple Grove, making it a very desirable location for residential and commercial construction.
Once the economy picks up again, Maple Grove will once again have its retail capacity. With the opening of the hospital, we will likely see a growth in the medical services industry around The Grove, as well as a wide array of retail/service facilities. The infrastructure there is excellent, and the area median income within 5 miles of The Grove is one of the highest in the Twin Cities area (over $110,000 per household). With the hospital will come doctors, nurses, and other high-paid (read: disposable income) residents who want to live closer to their work. The Grove has had a rocky start (Slumberland and Office Max were doomed from Day One) but I predict that it will be a healthy retail district within the next 5-10 years.
Arbor Lakes is one of the healthiest retail centers in the metro area, and Maple Grove still has remaining retail capacity. As the economy shifts to eliminate stores that consumers do not support, we will see the emergence of new concepts. The situation is akin to the controlled burning of grasslands. Only we’re dictating which stores we no longer see as viable, and watching as new retail concepts enter the consumer market.
#15 by naythen on June 9, 2010 - 3:14 pm
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@Tim G
There is a funeral home now. It is right off E Fish Lake Road. It sits on the the site of Dick Reimers home. He was the Mayor of Maple Grove in the 60′s and I believed once owned the land extending from E Fish Lake Road to where Elm Creek Blvd is now before the construction of 94w.
#16 by Steve on August 27, 2010 - 7:44 pm
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Funny the near-by Home Depot store was mentioned in this…I worked there for 1 1/2 years PT. I hated the management and the fact that I moved further away made this commute seem like a drive to the boonies.
A lot of people have mentioned the economy being a player in the under-development of this store and it’s replacement, I’ll leave it at that since I agree.