Columbia Mall (Grand Forks)
Encyclopedia
Columbia Mall is an enclosed regional shopping mall
in Grand Forks, North Dakota
and is located at the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road.
It is the largest mall within 70 miles (112.7 km). Located 80 miles [128.7 km] from the Canadian border and 140 miles [225 km] from Winnipeg, the mall draws a significant number of customers from Canada.
Columbia Mall, which opened in 1978, was developed by the Dayton Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation
) at a cost of roughly $20 million.
Today, Columbia Mall houses three department stores (Macy's
, JCPenney, and Sears
),a 430-seat food court and more than 70 specialty merchants. GK Development, Inc. of Barrington, Illinois
is the current owner of the mall. In 2005 GK Development added the new Dakota Cafe food court, a children's play area and renovated the rest rooms.
Dayton Hudson experienced fierce competition for a new mall in the city of Grand Forks in 1975. While their proposal was to build a mall at the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road, Inland Construction of Edina, Minnesota
wanted to build a mall at 32nd Avenue South and Washington Street (one mile east of the Dayton Hudson site), which was quickly dismissed, while a group of local investors and Farber-Kelley Ltd. of Toronto
advanced a proposal for a mall at Demers Avenue and 42nd Street to be called "Marketplace West". While Marketplace West was initially preferred by the city planning department, a referendum was called to annex Dayton Hudson's proposed Columbia Mall site to the city. When it passed, the city council interpreted it as a public endorsement of the Columbia Mall project. Interestingly, the Marketplace West site would later become the home of the Alerus Center
arena and convention center.
Columbia Mall opened on August 2, 1978 with 571800 sq ft (53,122 m²) of space. Major merchants at the new mall included both Dayton Hudson-owned Target and Dayton's
stores as well as a JCPenney store. The mall's early marketing efforts included a jingle, "Meet met at Columbia Mall," that was also produced as a television commercial and recast in a holiday version.
In 2000, a Sears department store opened at Columbia Mall, bringing the number of department stores in the mall to four. In 2001, Target closed its Columbia Mall store and opened a SuperTarget store in the new Grand Forks Marketplace mall a few blocks west of Columbia Mall. The current owner is actively marketing the former Target space. In 2001 Dayton Hudson Corporation acquired the Marshall Field & Co. chain and renamed some of its Dayton's stores as Marshall Field's, including the store at Columbia Mall. In 2005, Federated Department Stores, Inc. acquired the May Co., which had acquired and owned the Marshall Field's chain for less than a year. Federated re-branded the Field's chain as Macy's including the Columbia Mall store.
In early fall 2007, the American Red Cross established a disaster relief operations headquarters at the shopping center in response to the August 26 tornado that struck nearby Northwood, ND.
On November 22, 2003, University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin was abducted from the mall parking lot [3] by Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr.. Rodriguez crossed state lines into Minnesota
with Sjodin where he assaulted and murdered her. He was convicted of the crime on August 30, 2006.
Local activities hosted annually honor the life of Dru Sjodin including: Dru's Drive, a campaign with the mission to increase awareness about violence against students; Dru Sjodin Purple Elephant 10K & 5K Run/Walk; Dru Sjodin Golf Tournament; and "Shed Light on Violent Sexual Offenders" initiative.
President George W. Bush signed into law The Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act on July 27, 2006, which includes Dru's Law, which (in part) requires convicted child molesters to register on a national database.
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
in Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota
Grand Forks is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Grand Forks County. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 52,838, while that of the city and surrounding metropolitan area was 98,461...
and is located at the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road.
It is the largest mall within 70 miles (112.7 km). Located 80 miles [128.7 km] from the Canadian border and 140 miles [225 km] from Winnipeg, the mall draws a significant number of customers from Canada.
Columbia Mall, which opened in 1978, was developed by the Dayton Hudson Corporation (now Target Corporation
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
) at a cost of roughly $20 million.
Today, Columbia Mall houses three department stores (Macy's
Macy's
Macy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
, JCPenney, and Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
),a 430-seat food court and more than 70 specialty merchants. GK Development, Inc. of Barrington, Illinois
Barrington, Illinois
Barrington is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois and Lake County, Illinois. The population was 10,327 at the 2010 census. Located approximately northwest of Chicago, the area features wetlands, forest preserves, parks and horse trails in a country-suburban setting...
is the current owner of the mall. In 2005 GK Development added the new Dakota Cafe food court, a children's play area and renovated the rest rooms.
History
Dayton Hudson experienced fierce competition for a new mall in the city of Grand Forks in 1975. While their proposal was to build a mall at the intersection of 32nd Avenue South and Columbia Road, Inland Construction of Edina, Minnesota
Edina, Minnesota
Edina is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and a first-ring suburb situated immediately southwest of Minneapolis. Edina began as a small farming and milling community in the 1860s. The population was 47,941 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
wanted to build a mall at 32nd Avenue South and Washington Street (one mile east of the Dayton Hudson site), which was quickly dismissed, while a group of local investors and Farber-Kelley Ltd. of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
advanced a proposal for a mall at Demers Avenue and 42nd Street to be called "Marketplace West". While Marketplace West was initially preferred by the city planning department, a referendum was called to annex Dayton Hudson's proposed Columbia Mall site to the city. When it passed, the city council interpreted it as a public endorsement of the Columbia Mall project. Interestingly, the Marketplace West site would later become the home of the Alerus Center
Alerus Center
The Alerus Center is an indoor arena and convention center located in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The facility is owned and operated by the city of Grand Forks and opened on February 10, 2001. The arena's major tenant is the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team. The arena also...
arena and convention center.
Columbia Mall opened on August 2, 1978 with 571800 sq ft (53,122 m²) of space. Major merchants at the new mall included both Dayton Hudson-owned Target and Dayton's
Dayton's
Minneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
stores as well as a JCPenney store. The mall's early marketing efforts included a jingle, "Meet met at Columbia Mall," that was also produced as a television commercial and recast in a holiday version.
In 2000, a Sears department store opened at Columbia Mall, bringing the number of department stores in the mall to four. In 2001, Target closed its Columbia Mall store and opened a SuperTarget store in the new Grand Forks Marketplace mall a few blocks west of Columbia Mall. The current owner is actively marketing the former Target space. In 2001 Dayton Hudson Corporation acquired the Marshall Field & Co. chain and renamed some of its Dayton's stores as Marshall Field's, including the store at Columbia Mall. In 2005, Federated Department Stores, Inc. acquired the May Co., which had acquired and owned the Marshall Field's chain for less than a year. Federated re-branded the Field's chain as Macy's including the Columbia Mall store.
In early fall 2007, the American Red Cross established a disaster relief operations headquarters at the shopping center in response to the August 26 tornado that struck nearby Northwood, ND.
On November 22, 2003, University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin was abducted from the mall parking lot [3] by Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr.. Rodriguez crossed state lines into Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
with Sjodin where he assaulted and murdered her. He was convicted of the crime on August 30, 2006.
Local activities hosted annually honor the life of Dru Sjodin including: Dru's Drive, a campaign with the mission to increase awareness about violence against students; Dru Sjodin Purple Elephant 10K & 5K Run/Walk; Dru Sjodin Golf Tournament; and "Shed Light on Violent Sexual Offenders" initiative.
President George W. Bush signed into law The Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act on July 27, 2006, which includes Dru's Law, which (in part) requires convicted child molesters to register on a national database.
Current anchors
- J.C. PenneyJ.C. PenneyJ. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
- 96551 square feet (8,969.9 m²) - Macy'sMacy'sMacy's is a U.S. chain of mid-to-high range department stores. In addition to its flagship Herald Square location in New York City, the company operates over 800 stores in the United States...
(Dayton'sDayton'sMinneapolis-based Dayton's was among the leading department stores in the United States for nearly a century after its founding in 1902 by George Draper Dayton. In 1969, the Detroit-based J.L. Hudson Company merged with the Dayton Corporation to form the Dayton-Hudson Corporation, adding 21...
from 1978–2001; Marshall Field'sMarshall Field'sMarshall Field & Company was a department store in Chicago, Illinois that grew to become a major chain before being acquired by Macy's Inc...
from 2001–2006) - 101203 square feet (9,402.1 m²) - Sears - 108477 square feet (10,077.8 m²)