The iconic Dayton’s department store started with a 6-story building at the corner of 7th and Nicollet in downtown Minneapolis, built in 1902 on the site of the former Westminster Presbyterian Church after it burned down and they rebuilt a few blocks down. Over the years Dayton’s expanded the building to encompass the full block along Nicollet Mall from 7th to 8th Street. It merged with other companies over the years, including JB Hudson and Marshall Field’s, and Dayton’s Corporation became Target Corporation in 2000, nearly 100 years after Dayton’s was founded. The department stores became part of the Macy’s chain in 2004, and closed in 2017.
For many, Dayton’s was symbolic of the best of retail. They considered everyone who visited their stores not customers, but guests. They pioneered corporate giving, inaugurating the practice of donating 5% of their profits back to the community.
Christmas was a very special time at Dayton’s, with beautiful window displays and a tradition of an elaborate annual animated holiday show on the eighth floor. Started back in 1963 with “Santa’s Enchanted Forest”, over the years its themes included “Peter Pan”, “The Nutcracker”, “Harry Potter” and “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Macy’s continued this wonderful family holiday tradition. The 46th annual show took place in 2008 – “A Day in the Life of an Elf”, shown in the photos below. For many families, this was part of their not-to-be-missed holiday tradition.
The 601W Companies, which now own the building, have christened their redevelopment effort now underway the Dayton’s Project in honor of its rich history. Mary Tyler Moore’s bronze statue is back on the corner of 7th and Hennepin, and the window display at 8th and Hennepin includes representations of 23 years of Dayton’s Santa Bear tradition and the Waterford crystal chandelier from the elegant Dayton’s Sky Room restaurant.
The Departments at Dayton’s is the new retail piece of The Dayton’s Project and over the course of four months, a diverse array of vendors from across the state will be bringing unique craftsmanship and talent to the market on the reimagined main floor marketplace. Christmas market opened November 18 and is open Monday-Saturday 10-6 and Sunday 12-5.
We recently explored the new maker’s market and although it couldn’t be called bustling with activity, there were people there. I chatted with one of the vendors who said she was happy to see people continuing to come in after the grand opening, and not just on Saturdays. It feels new and fresh, with a variety of independent vendors making and selling everything from furniture, photography, jewelry, pottery, candles, soap, hats, clothing, and crafts to Dayton’s memorabilia and more. One of the shops looked more permanent than the others, perhaps part of their longterm goal to fill the skyway, first floor and lower level with permanent retail and restaurants. The rest is designated for flexible office space.
It really intrigued me that they decided to make the elegant former JB Hudson Jewelers an indigenous market. The rich earthtone floor tiles and wood fixtures somehow reflect a connection to the earth which I associate with that culture. I love the beautiful arched doorways into that space, which connects closely with the new staircase leading up to the skyway level and access to the IDS Center.
Put Dayton’s Maker’s Market on your list of holiday shopping destinations. It is filled with 35 makers eager to make it a success, which can only happen if guests in the former Dayton’s retail space make it so.
Sharlene Hensrud, RE/MAX Results – shensrud@homesmsp.com