HomeMy WebLinkAbout2013HeritageAward
City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424
Contact: Kaylin Martin, Communications Coordinator
Phone 952-833-9537 • Fax 952-826-0389 • www.EdinaMN.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Southdale Center named winner of 11th-Annual Heritage
Award
Edina, Minn., May 23, 2013 – The Edina Heritage Preservation Board recently presented the 2013
Heritage Award to Southdale Center, the United States’ first fully enclosed, climate-controlled mall.
The award has been given each year since 2003 to deserving local businesses, residences or neighborhoods
for achievements related to the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and use of Edina’s historic places.
Board Chair Bob Moore said Southdale Center was a strong candidate for the award after the mall’s owner,
Simon Properties, spent nearly $20 million on a renovation to revitalize the mall and bring back its mid-
century design.
“Storefronts are again filling up within the shopping center,” he said, “and the vitality and historical significance
of this Edina -- and national -- landmark continue to shine.”
Developed by the Dayton Company and built for $20 million, Southdale Center originally opened its 800,000-
square-foot space in 1956. The mall then featured a grocery store, upscale apparel stores and a small zoo.
Today, Southdale Center boasts 1.3 million square feet of space. As a part of the recent remodeling project,
wood accents have been incorporated into the mall and management was thoughtful about retaining the
original artwork that was still on the property prior to the renovation.
At a May 7 City Council meeting, during Heritage Preservation Month, Southdale Center Manager Ben Martin
accepted the award from Mayor James Hovland.
“It is an honor to be included in the company of recent award winners,” said Martin. “We appreciate and
value our relationship with the City of Edina and its residents.”
To learn more about the City’s annual Heritage Award, past recipients or the nomination process for 2014,
visit www.EdinaMN.gov or call Senior Planner Joyce Repya, 952-826-0462.
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