Herberger's picks Blaine to open up another store

A Herberger's store will open in August in Northtown Mall in Blaine, filling an anchor spot vacant since 2004, company officials confirmed Wednesday.

When it is completed, the store will be the 17th Herberger's in Minnesota. Herberger's is owned by Bon-Ton Stores Inc., based in Milwaukee.

Inside the the 130,000-square-foot store, which was vacated by Mervyn's, missing ceiling tiles expose wires and ductwork. Walls and pillars, still covered in Mervyn's wood and cobalt laminate, will be redone in the Herberger's white palette with details in aluminum and stainless steel. The mullioned parking lot entrance will be redone as a two-story glass wall.

Bon-Ton President and CEO Bud Bergren said the company was drawn by Northtown's location and by its parent company, Glimcher Development Corp.; the two companies have been partners at two malls in Dayton, Ohio.

The deal, which will put Herberger's at Northtown for at least 10 years, has gone on despite a souring retail market.

"It was a tough year in 2007 for retail, and most people project 2008 to be the same way," Bergren said.

Bon-Ton's philosophy is to think long-term, he said. "When we have a good project, we would still want to go through with those."

"The retail industry is being very smart about where they put locations," she said. "It's not a build-it-and-they-will-come attitude anymore."

Northtown retailers are counting on people to shop where they park, Mueller went on, pointing to Northtown's transit hub and park-and-ride lot, and its location between two planned Northstar rail stops.

"We're very lucky because the area we're in is such a high-growth area," she said. "We're ideally situated for that growth."

A natural boundary

Three other enclosed malls have been proposed for Maple Grove, Chanhassen and Rogers. But Mueller noted that the Mississippi River makes a natural boundary that many people don't cross. And the addition of a fashion retail anchor solidifies Northtown's position, she said.

Ashley and Aimee Elvine, 19-year-old and 15-year-old sisters from Ramsey, said they'd go to Northtown to check out the new store, and hoped they might find clothes there for special occasions, although their impression was that Herberger's is generally aimed for an older clientele.

Mary Ann Pohl's eyes sparkled when she heard about the new addition. "I'm excited, I'm very excited," said the Fridley resident. "There's nothing out here. I go to Rosedale all the time, and I do lots of shopping at Herberger's."