TCF Financial and the Mall of America agreed on a three-year deal for the bank to put its name on the mall's rotunda, the gathering space at the center of its east wing.

It's the first time in a decade that the 5,000-square-foot meeting space inside the mall has had a corporate sponsor.

"Bringing a naming-rights sponsorship deal back to the rotunda was a focus for us," said Jill Renslow, senior vice president of corporate development at the mall. "We are excited about this partnership; it really brings a local brand flavor."

TCF operates the third-largest bank by assets and revenue in Minnesota, but it is no longer based in the Twin Cities. Last year, the firm merged with Chemical Financial, a similarly sized bank in Michigan. The combined company took the TCF name and the Chemical Financial headquarters in Detroit.

Craig Dahl, president and CEO of TCF, said the number and variety of people who visit the Mall of America made the sponsorship opportunity appealing to the firm.

"Partnering with a great marketing organization is always a great idea," Dahl said, referring to the mall. "The visibility is second to none in retailing in the U.S."

The mall attracts 40 million visitors a year and hosts nearly 400 events annually, from Toddler Tuesdays to celebrity visits, in the rotunda.

TCF already has a local naming-rights deal for TCF Bank Stadium at the University of Minnesota, and Chemical had agreed to a naming-rights deal for Detroit's convention center, Cobo Center.

The name change of the convention center was put on hold until the TCF and Chemical merger became official Aug. 1, and later that month the convention center's name became TCF Center.

TCF's deal with the Mall of America will place the bank's signage on five areas in the rotunda.

The space features a portable stage and giant LED sign on the elevator tower that anchors the four-story space.

TCF, along with Medica, have a sponsorship deal for the mall's seasonal ice skating rink, Skate the Star, outside its north entrance. It is the first year TCF has sponsored the rink, and TCF donated $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities as part of that deal. Visitors skate for free with their own skates. Rental fees and other donations contribute thousands more to the Boys and Girls Club.

Patrick Kennedy • 612-673-7926