Former Brooklyn Center Target To Be Demolished
Global Food Market Concept Planned for Different Strip Mall
As Brooklyn Center is making plans to tear down the old Target building, a developer is aiming to revitalize another of the city’s strip malls.
Target shuttered its doors in Brooklyn Center in early 2019, ending more than 30 years of business on Shingle Creek Parkway.
“It’s unfortunate that Target left,” said Jesse Anderson, community development director for the city of Brooklyn Center.
The city bought the old Target building in January 2019 for $3.6 million. And while a few users — like a large COVID-19 vaccine clinic — have temporarily occupied the space, the city continued unsuccessfully to search for a permanent redeveloper.
“We’re looking at demolition,” Anderson said.
Brooklyn Center plans to demolish the former Target store located at 6100 Shingle Creek Pkwy.
Developer Aims for International Food Destination at Brooklyn Center Mall
In 2022, one developer took a serious look at redeveloping the site.
The company International Food Village considered redeveloping the site as a food market and bulk grocery store. They had a year-long pre-development agreement with the city, but the agreement expired in April 2023.
“The Target site we thought was ideal,” said James Sanigular, CEO of International Food Village. “But then the situation with the Target was that we had to break the whole structure down and start from scratch.”
Sanigular moved on with the bulk grocery and food market concept at a new site in Brooklyn Center – the mostly empty strip mall that’s now home to Dollar Tree at 5930 Earle Brown Dr.
International Food Village, which is based in Brooklyn Center, hopes to buy the strip mall and revitalize it. The concept includes space for a bulk grocery store, an international food court, a commercial kitchen, event space and a brewery.
“With 12 acres, there’s a lot we can do on the site,” he said. “This is a food desert, there’s not many grocery stores in the area … there’s really nothing that would fit the demographic.”
He also wants to make the mall into a destination for the surrounding states.
If all goes as planned, Sanigular said he hopes to close the sale and start renovating the mall in fall of 2024. The asking price is likely from $4.8 million to $5.5 million.
“This location is really prime, because you are facing Highway 100 here,” Sanigluar said. “[Interstate] 94, 694 is right around the corner, so strategically this might even be a better location than the Target.”
Sanigular said he’d like to see the Dollar Tree store stay in the strip mall since it brings foot and car traffic from the surrounding area.
International Food Village hopes to buy the mostly empty strip mall at at 5930 Earle Brown Dr. and turn it into an event center, international food market and bulk food grocery store.
Brooklyn Center Target To Be Demolished
While ambition is high next to Dollar Tree, the situation looks downright gloomy for the old Target building.
There was a fire at the vacant Target in July 2023, which the Brooklyn Center Fire Department determined to be arson.
“We have no suspects in that case,” Brooklyn Center Fire Chief Todd Berg told CCX News.
The fire resulted in about $2 million in damage. According to Anderson, it would cost around $3.5 million to bring the Target building up to code.
Demolition of the building is expected to cost between $900,000 and $1.1 million.
Anderson said developers may be more likely to build on an empty site rather than repair the existing building.
“The demand for a larger box like that is probably not as high as a redevelopment site,” he said.
The city is open to plans for new development at the old Target site, but expects to see proposals for mixed-use or housing. Whatever proposals come forward, Anderson said he feels optimistic for the site’s future.
“There’s some potential to expand our tax base, expand our housing opportunities in the city,” he said. “I think there’s a lot of potential at the site.”
