Apache Plaza
Apache Plaza was a former shopping center, located in St. Anthony, Minnesota, a tiny suburb of Minneapolis. This mall has historic significance due to the fact that it was one of the first enclosed malls in the US, and was the second such center in the state of Minnesota, after Southdale, opening in 1961. It had an impressive design, by architect Willard Thorsen, which was state-of-the-art at the time. Apache boasted a spacious center court with a paraboloid roof. The paraboloids were concrete shells, shaped like an inverted umbrella. Ten of these paraboloids made up the roof of the center court, which was ringed with Mondrian-inspired clerestory windows. In its glory days, the mall had more than 60 stores. By the early 1970s, the writing seemed to be on the wall on the fate of Apache, when Rosedale opened
nearby.
Other associated developments
In addition to Apache Plaza, the Apache Corporation also developed two office buildings neighboring the mall. The first, the Apache Office Park was built in 1964. It's design had a unique, space-age look, the building was on "stilts" of sorts, with a stairwell/elevator in the center. The space underneath the building served as a parking lot. The second, the Apache Medical Complex, was completed in 1966. Originally strictly a medical complex, this building now houses a variety of businesses in addition to medical offices.
The decline of Apache
In the early 1980s, Apache underwent a major renovation, only to have its south end slammed by a tornado on April 26, 1984. The tornado is thought by many to be the beginning of the end for Apache. The damage was repaired, and the mall re-opened, but the original charm was lost, notably the multi-colored clerestory windows around the center court being replaced by colorless glass. The mall seemed to continue to thrive into the early 1990s, when tenants begin leaving in droves. Herberger's opened at Apache in 1987, saving the center from demolition for 17 years. By 2004, the mall was nearly empty, but still open to mall-walkers. It was a sad sight, with abandoned storefronts with visible shadows of their signage remaining. The mall was voted as the "best place to dump someone", by the local tabloid paper, "City Pages". The symbolism of a once bustling mall now being mostly deserted was appropriate for breaking it off with a soon-to-be-former significant other. Apache was scheduled for demolition in April 2004, then opening to the public for the last time for a "Bulldozer Bash", intended to celebrate plans for building a new pedestrian/transit-friendly shopping/residential community in its place, "Silver Lake Village", anchored by a Wal-Mart, to the consternation of many residents and former Apache shoppers. The majority of the turnout at the event were not there to celebrate the new development, but to share Apache memories and mourn the loss of what was once the center of their community. Then, right on schedule, in rolled the bulldozers, and the once-great Apache Plaza was leveled. The Apache Office Park building soon followed. The Apache Medical Complex, however, still remains, it is being considered for conversion to residential condos. It was the end of an era for the area in and near St. Anthony.
External linksApache Plaza tribute site History, memories, and numerous photosdeadmalls.com
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