A Split Decision: Repositioning a 1-Story Building Into 2 at the Galleria

The recent exit of Gabbert’s from the Galleria in Edina created the need to reposition the area of the mall and convert the existing space into three smaller tenant shell spaces along with one larger tenant shell space for Arhaus (another furniture store). Sweet Paris Creperie has moved into one of the three small shell spaces. 

Not only did this move pose a significant challenge/accomplishment, it also helped to contribute to the revitalization of Edina’s shopping centers, sustaining opportunities for people who work there, and enhancing the retail experience for people who shop there. For instance, Arhaus is moving its showroom from the east end of the Galleria to the renovated space. It is two times larger than the old showroom and has a covered terrace to showcase outdoor furnishings. In addition, the new space helps the Galleria to become a social destination, by having retail environments that people can shop and dine at, allowing for more social interaction and making the Galleria a place for everyone to enjoy. 

The Galleria remained open during the whole renovation period. Because of this, Kraus-Anderson kept talking with Galleria’s management to coordinate with the stores so that there wouldn’t be any disruption to the business. To put it simply, like with many other projects that they’ve worked on, KA had to try to stay out of the public eye, making it look like that they weren’t even there.  

“One of the significant challenges that we had was constructing the new loading dock while keeping the existing loading dock operational,” said Project Manager Erik Kaske. “Balancing public safety, construction sequencing, and costs proved to be intricate. To address these challenges, we decided to build a temporary loading dock. This solution was successful and allowed us to maintain our operations smoothly during the construction phase.”