The recent closing of Saks Off 5th in Gaviidae Common came as no sudden surprise—it was a move constructed when Hudson’s Bay Company acquired Saks in 2013, and was publicly announced last year. Months of liquidation sales in the store came quickly afterwards (leading to eerily-empty racks covered in discount signs and an echo-y marble interior). Nonetheless, the department store’s shuttering was a blow to the Twin Cities’ upscale retail scene, already flagging with the loss of the Mall of America’s Bloomingdale’s in 2012 and downtown’s Neiman Marcus in 2013.
But lucky for bargain-hunting fashionistas, it was announced yesterday that the store will be reopening as a City Center anchor come April 2016, replacing Office Depot and a handful of restaurants. The 40,321 square-foot space will be as packed with deals as its previous incarnation.
“The city has been a strong market for us, and Minneapolis City Center provides us with a vibrant location in which to serve our exceedingly loyal customers,” Jonathan Greller, president of outlets for Hudson’s Bay, said in a news release.
With the construction of a new Nordstrom at Ridgedale and the buzzing Saks Off Fifth location in Eagan, hopes are high that things are turning around for high-end retail in the Cities.
