Mall walkers, it's time to find new spaces.
The final three mall holdouts — Rosedale, Burnsville Center and Har Mar — will close before the weekend in response to Gov. Tim Walz's stay-at-home directive.
Rosedale Center will close at 5 p.m. Friday and is expected to be closed until at least April 10. Some restaurants with exterior entrances or stand-alones on the mall pad remain open for curbside pickup or delivery, including Baldamar steakhouse, Portillo's, Granite City, Green Mill, Chipotle and Potbelly Sandwiches.
"Rosedale Center is offering local social-service organizations and governmental agencies its parking lots and enclosed assets to serve as potential distribution centers for emergency medical supplies, food distribution and storage, and other services that may be required by communities in need," said Lisa Crain, Rosedale Center's general manager, in a statement.
Only the east mall entrance near Talbot's and Williams-Sonoma is still open. Games by James, Lids, Dairy Queen and Buchkosky Jewelers are still operating until Friday.
Mary Rossini of St. Paul was one of only a few shoppers at Rosedale on Thursday afternoon. As she headed into Games by James, she said: "We're moving from 300-piece puzzles to 1,000 pieces," she said. "But I'm taking one back. It's too much black and white."
Just down the street on Snelling Avenue, Har Mar mall closed its common areas Wednesday night. Cub, Michael's, Staples, Barnes & Noble and H&R Block will keep their doors open, as will Subway, Wing Shop and Smashburgerc for curbside takeout and delivery.
Burnsville Center was due to close at 7 p.m. Thursday. Gordmans, with an outside entrance, will close at the end of day Friday. Mall restaurants staying open for curbside pickup and delivery include Chuck E. Cheese's, Noodles & Co., Applebee's, Lucky's 13 Pub and Panera Bread.
John Ewoldt • 612-673-7633
