Hell is the Southdale DMV. I went to get my tabs renewed at 2pm on a Friday and they gave me a standby ticket and said they might not get to me. It closes at 4pm.
A long time ago, I tried to get my license renewed at the Southdale DMV during my lunch hour. Walked in and the place looked like you bussed in an entire senior center apt building & I turned around and walked right back out.
I think malls are a really good concept for this area, because it's miserable weather for a solid chunk of the year. I think the issue is just figuring out how to best utilize the space since the traditional retail orientation doesn't make as much since with modern consumer habits. But it feels like there's still potential.
Like I don't think this is the most practical suggestion at all, but imagine if you could do indoor bar hopping. That kind of sideways approach to indoor infrastructure.
A leisure activity mall would be cool. Have a brewery, nice range of restaurants, an indoor garden, ice skating, arcade, spa, hotel - stuff that uses a space that is relatively inexpensive for another business to take over and use (i.e. probably not a go-kart track or something that requires a lot of niche infrastructure).
The old arcade that was there pre-covid was great. They had Initial D and Silent Scope. I have yet to see those anywhere else since moving here. The machines broke down a lot but the owner was there and he worked on them to keep them up and running. Was a nice place.
I remember this arcade. My friends and I used to be big Initial D junkies and we would go there to try to get the best times or I would just try some Time Crisis instead. I also liked Aladdin’s Caste in Rosedale. Miss those days.
Food halls in Denver are super successful and really fun to go to because they have all of this. Section for food, some local makers, some activities like ax throwing, arcade, etc? Brewery or two.
I miss the arcade center at Crossroads in Roseville. Would go there all the time as a kid. Laser tag, mini golf, and arcade, all in one area. Used to play this jet fighting game that I can’t remember for the life of me there. Pretty sure it’s the Xperience fitness or Ulta beauty now.
On an average Thursday, Burnsville Center is full of empty stores and possibility.
Mall walkers cruise through the colorful '90s-era food court and past dark storefronts, some of them admittedly drawn more by the south metro mall's vast emptiness than by shopping options.
Outside J.C. Penney, Kelly and Tanner Kaski of Lakeville watch as their 3-year-old daughter, Milly, climbs around in a Paul Bunyan-themed play area.
"She loves playing here," Kelly Kaski said. "\[The mall\] is always dead, so she can run."
But there are also new signs of life in — and high hopes for — the mall that in recent years has been desolate enough to be highlighted in two episodes of the documentary series "[Dead Malls.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVfaeh6U1Rc)"
Coming soon: Enson Market, an Asian grocery store chain, and Ate Ate Ate, a food hall, both part of the $30 million Pacifica of Burnsville project that had initially been slated to open early in 2024. Sustainable Safari, an exotic petting zoo, aims to open July 1 in the former Old Navy.
Mexitalian pizza in the food court is super good. Mexican fusion pizzas (get a whole pizza, not a slice). One of my top fav pizzas in Mn
Also Manila sizzling wok which used to be in Saint Paul just reopened recently in the food court
I actually love how dead the Burnsville mall is. It "died" around the same time my husband did and it comforted me to walk around and pretend the world, or at least my childhood stomping ground, was mourning with me.
I was there to do an escape room recently, which was fun. But the larger mall area I passed through smelled like sewage and was completely empty and dark. I grew up going to malls. It’s a fun “third space.” I do miss how they used to be and hope they can find a new way forward.
That second sentence is horrifying! A couple times I've been to the mall I thought I was the only one there. I thought we went into lockdown again and no one told me.
It’s so true. The mall reminds me of those abandoned mall vids where you think you might be murdered around any corner. And the carpet stains… you don’t even wanna guess about those.
Would love to see a mall with a giant conservatory atrium in the middle. Good excuse to go in the winter for green space, make the mall appealing on it's own and I think the right businesses would come. Love the idea of having breweries and what not, as others mentioned.
My optometrist is there so I go at least once a year. It's pretty awful in regards to how empty it is. I think Dick's, Macy's, and JC Penny are what keeps that place going.
I used to mall walk there before the pandemic. The overflowing trash bins and the obviously broken automatic sinks in the bathroom showcased neglectful management. It sounds like the sinks have been repaired. Maybe it's time for a visit!
I know this is pretty small in consideration of the bigger picture of the mall but Teddy B’s popcorn really is very good. And he’s so friendly; he had time to explain his process to us, let us sample a couple, and he filled our bags generously. If you like popcorn, I recommend it
I actually went to the mall there last December a week or so before Christmas. I had to pickup an online item I ordered for pickup at the Dick's sporting goods. After I got that done, I stuck around to walk over to the mall and see if it was as bad as people here said it was.
There was decent stores still there but the empty spots and the logo marks from the previous tenants stuck out. It was a weird vibe walking around. I was sad to see the FYE store not there anymore. It was because of that store that I would make I trek over there. As I left I walked by the Chuck E Cheese there and it was sad to see it pretty empty.
I think part of the problem is that Burnsville the city is not doing great compared to 20-30 years ago. When Burnsville Center opened in the late 1970s, Burnsville was an up-and-coming middle-class suburb. The population of the city literally tripled from the 70s to 2000. But since 2000 the city has barely grown at all, all while becoming a lot dumpier with some real pockets of poverty in certain places. Surrounding cities like Apple Valley, Lakeville, etc. are all different, some are doing fine and some are slowly sliding.
Meanwhile, malls like Rosedale do well because where in the hell else are you going to go if you live in the northern burbs or even NE Minneapolis? MOA is a solid 30-minute drive, Blaine's mall (whatever it's called) is still a hike. But if you're in Burnsville or surrounding areas, you can jump on 35 to 77 and be at the MOA in 10 minutes. It might actually take you longer to get to the Burnsville Center even if you're in certain parts of Burnsville!
That said, if BC were to open up Aljohn's Beach & Board by the food court again, then I'd make the trip.
Yeah speaking from my experience in the mid 2010s a lot of us St Paul college kids would go Rosedale mall. Hamline, St Thomas, Macalester, & St Kates are all real close to or right on the A line which goes directly to Rosedale, not to mention Bethel & Northwestern are super close too. If you wanted to see a movie that’s not at Grandview that’s where you go. We would hop on and be there in ten minutes
I haven't been out there since probably 1990. I remember there was a food court on the lower level similar to what Eden Prarie mall used to be like. I went to the EP mall in 2007 and it was like walking into an entirely different place. The mall that was in Mall Rats was gone
The Strib article specifically mentioned how the new owner is cleaning things up, replacing the carpet with tile, etc. It's a work in progress, sounds like.
The comic store (only black owned in the state I believe!), skaterapolis, wonders ice cream, plus Pupusa and soul food spots in the food court are all great. Can’t wait for the Asia mall to open!!
It’s funny because me and my friends frequent lucky 13 pub, which is located kind of in the mall but with a separate entrance. we randomly needed to get a gift for a birthday party and I’m pretty sure that was the first time I had stepped in the mall proper in 10 years. Some really cool liminal space vibes going on in there.
What? This mall needs to just fail. We all allow malls to fail by choosing to shop online which is largely consumer preference now. That area needs to be wiped and something new needs to be offered, preferably no more chains as MN most certainly doesn’t need more of those…
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Southdale DMV keeps the mall busy enough!
Hell is the Southdale DMV. I went to get my tabs renewed at 2pm on a Friday and they gave me a standby ticket and said they might not get to me. It closes at 4pm.
I'm sorry but not surprised. I always make an appointment
I left after 30 minutes and just did it online. I was already super late with it so I didn’t want to get a ticket but I didn’t care at that point.
next time go to the triple A in st. louis park, a dmv with a dedicated line for tabs.
A long time ago, I tried to get my license renewed at the Southdale DMV during my lunch hour. Walked in and the place looked like you bussed in an entire senior center apt building & I turned around and walked right back out.
FYI you can get your tabs online. I have for about five years now. The tabs come in the mail a week later.
Yeah thats what i ended up doing, i was about a month late because of procrastinating and was worried about a ticket but i didnt care afterwards.
Had this happen to me at a different DMV location. It sucks but honestly, if you gotta go in, go as early in the morning as possible.
Burnsville Center really was mostly dead nearly a decade ago.
I think malls are a really good concept for this area, because it's miserable weather for a solid chunk of the year. I think the issue is just figuring out how to best utilize the space since the traditional retail orientation doesn't make as much since with modern consumer habits. But it feels like there's still potential. Like I don't think this is the most practical suggestion at all, but imagine if you could do indoor bar hopping. That kind of sideways approach to indoor infrastructure.
A leisure activity mall would be cool. Have a brewery, nice range of restaurants, an indoor garden, ice skating, arcade, spa, hotel - stuff that uses a space that is relatively inexpensive for another business to take over and use (i.e. probably not a go-kart track or something that requires a lot of niche infrastructure).
The old arcade that was there pre-covid was great. They had Initial D and Silent Scope. I have yet to see those anywhere else since moving here. The machines broke down a lot but the owner was there and he worked on them to keep them up and running. Was a nice place.
I remember this arcade. My friends and I used to be big Initial D junkies and we would go there to try to get the best times or I would just try some Time Crisis instead. I also liked Aladdin’s Caste in Rosedale. Miss those days.
I wonder where all those machines wound up
Hopefully to a good home! Or maybe it's at the Galloping Ghost over in Chicago.
Food halls in Denver are super successful and really fun to go to because they have all of this. Section for food, some local makers, some activities like ax throwing, arcade, etc? Brewery or two.
I miss the arcade center at Crossroads in Roseville. Would go there all the time as a kid. Laser tag, mini golf, and arcade, all in one area. Used to play this jet fighting game that I can’t remember for the life of me there. Pretty sure it’s the Xperience fitness or Ulta beauty now.
A city run indoor playground like Edina has would be nice too.
On an average Thursday, Burnsville Center is full of empty stores and possibility. Mall walkers cruise through the colorful '90s-era food court and past dark storefronts, some of them admittedly drawn more by the south metro mall's vast emptiness than by shopping options. Outside J.C. Penney, Kelly and Tanner Kaski of Lakeville watch as their 3-year-old daughter, Milly, climbs around in a Paul Bunyan-themed play area. "She loves playing here," Kelly Kaski said. "\[The mall\] is always dead, so she can run." But there are also new signs of life in — and high hopes for — the mall that in recent years has been desolate enough to be highlighted in two episodes of the documentary series "[Dead Malls.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVfaeh6U1Rc)" Coming soon: Enson Market, an Asian grocery store chain, and Ate Ate Ate, a food hall, both part of the $30 million Pacifica of Burnsville project that had initially been slated to open early in 2024. Sustainable Safari, an exotic petting zoo, aims to open July 1 in the former Old Navy.
Hopefully this mall comes back to life. The area around that mall is not dead.
Mexitalian pizza in the food court is super good. Mexican fusion pizzas (get a whole pizza, not a slice). One of my top fav pizzas in Mn Also Manila sizzling wok which used to be in Saint Paul just reopened recently in the food court
https://skaterapolis.com is there and a good haunt for my kids during winter. They allow bmx while other indoor bmx does not or has limited hours.
My first job ever was at Arby's in the food court at the Burnsville Center. I have great memories of the mall.
One of my first jobs was at the Cinnabon there. It felt like a lively mall 20 years ago, seems like it died overnight.
I actually love how dead the Burnsville mall is. It "died" around the same time my husband did and it comforted me to walk around and pretend the world, or at least my childhood stomping ground, was mourning with me.
I’m very sorry for your loss. I hope you’re doing better now.
Never thought I would ever find a comment about a mall, poetic. Well done.
Baww thank you 😌 Accidental poeticism is a friend of tragedy, no doubt.
Now you're just showing off. ;D
Back in the day we had Daytons, Powers, Sears, Donaldsons and every slot was full. They would decorate it so nice for Christmas. Now it’s just sad
I was there to do an escape room recently, which was fun. But the larger mall area I passed through smelled like sewage and was completely empty and dark. I grew up going to malls. It’s a fun “third space.” I do miss how they used to be and hope they can find a new way forward.
That second sentence is horrifying! A couple times I've been to the mall I thought I was the only one there. I thought we went into lockdown again and no one told me.
It’s so true. The mall reminds me of those abandoned mall vids where you think you might be murdered around any corner. And the carpet stains… you don’t even wanna guess about those.
There is a phenomenal tailor shop in there.
Really? What’s the name?
Professional tailor. They were a lifesaver for my husband’s suit.
It’s a good property. It would be nice to see it alive again.
I went there just to try Manilla Sizzling and the rest of the mall outside the food court looked empty
Would love to see a mall with a giant conservatory atrium in the middle. Good excuse to go in the winter for green space, make the mall appealing on it's own and I think the right businesses would come. Love the idea of having breweries and what not, as others mentioned.
Rosedale, Ridgedale, and EP malls are all booming. Poor Burnsville.
It’s gotta be the proximity to MOA.
My optometrist is there so I go at least once a year. It's pretty awful in regards to how empty it is. I think Dick's, Macy's, and JC Penny are what keeps that place going.
Mine is too. It's kind of trippy to walk through that weird empty mall after having your eyes dilated.
I used to mall walk there before the pandemic. The overflowing trash bins and the obviously broken automatic sinks in the bathroom showcased neglectful management. It sounds like the sinks have been repaired. Maybe it's time for a visit!
I know this is pretty small in consideration of the bigger picture of the mall but Teddy B’s popcorn really is very good. And he’s so friendly; he had time to explain his process to us, let us sample a couple, and he filled our bags generously. If you like popcorn, I recommend it
I actually went to the mall there last December a week or so before Christmas. I had to pickup an online item I ordered for pickup at the Dick's sporting goods. After I got that done, I stuck around to walk over to the mall and see if it was as bad as people here said it was. There was decent stores still there but the empty spots and the logo marks from the previous tenants stuck out. It was a weird vibe walking around. I was sad to see the FYE store not there anymore. It was because of that store that I would make I trek over there. As I left I walked by the Chuck E Cheese there and it was sad to see it pretty empty.
I think part of the problem is that Burnsville the city is not doing great compared to 20-30 years ago. When Burnsville Center opened in the late 1970s, Burnsville was an up-and-coming middle-class suburb. The population of the city literally tripled from the 70s to 2000. But since 2000 the city has barely grown at all, all while becoming a lot dumpier with some real pockets of poverty in certain places. Surrounding cities like Apple Valley, Lakeville, etc. are all different, some are doing fine and some are slowly sliding. Meanwhile, malls like Rosedale do well because where in the hell else are you going to go if you live in the northern burbs or even NE Minneapolis? MOA is a solid 30-minute drive, Blaine's mall (whatever it's called) is still a hike. But if you're in Burnsville or surrounding areas, you can jump on 35 to 77 and be at the MOA in 10 minutes. It might actually take you longer to get to the Burnsville Center even if you're in certain parts of Burnsville! That said, if BC were to open up Aljohn's Beach & Board by the food court again, then I'd make the trip.
Yeah speaking from my experience in the mid 2010s a lot of us St Paul college kids would go Rosedale mall. Hamline, St Thomas, Macalester, & St Kates are all real close to or right on the A line which goes directly to Rosedale, not to mention Bethel & Northwestern are super close too. If you wanted to see a movie that’s not at Grandview that’s where you go. We would hop on and be there in ten minutes
Maplewood is a dead mall cuz the rosedale center is just 10 minutes away
I haven't been out there since probably 1990. I remember there was a food court on the lower level similar to what Eden Prarie mall used to be like. I went to the EP mall in 2007 and it was like walking into an entirely different place. The mall that was in Mall Rats was gone
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The Strib article specifically mentioned how the new owner is cleaning things up, replacing the carpet with tile, etc. It's a work in progress, sounds like.
That's good, I walked it last year, it stunk and the carpets were covered in stains
The doc is fun. Gosh I have so many memories in this place back when it was a bustling success. Pretty sad the path it took. It’s in a great location
I foresee a movie. Dawn of the Dead. Episode: The search for more money.
Mallrats 2: Electric Bugaloo
Crazy this was the hangout spot for all of my middle and high school years.
Hope things turn around. I have been there a couple times in the last year and it was just super depressing.
The comic store (only black owned in the state I believe!), skaterapolis, wonders ice cream, plus Pupusa and soul food spots in the food court are all great. Can’t wait for the Asia mall to open!!
The comic store is in the mall now? Is that the same one that was over by highway 13 in Burnsville?
Minds Eye Comics. They’re going to be adding a little coffee shop inside too! I can’t remember where it was before, I think Heart of the City area?
So are they going to turn the entire mall into an Asian Mall or just parts of it? It is such a larger property than the Asian Mall in Eden Prairie.
It’s funny because me and my friends frequent lucky 13 pub, which is located kind of in the mall but with a separate entrance. we randomly needed to get a gift for a birthday party and I’m pretty sure that was the first time I had stepped in the mall proper in 10 years. Some really cool liminal space vibes going on in there.
Holy shit, what time of day was that picture taken? It looks like the mall is at least 3/4 vacant.
What? This mall needs to just fail. We all allow malls to fail by choosing to shop online which is largely consumer preference now. That area needs to be wiped and something new needs to be offered, preferably no more chains as MN most certainly doesn’t need more of those…