Damaged Lake Street Target store set to reopen in November

The Lake Street Target store that was heavily damaged in riots following the death of George Floyd will reopen in mid-November.

The Minneapolis retailer said it will be one of the fastest rebuilds of a Target store ever.

"Today, with construction well underway, I recognize that how we rebuild is just as important — if not more so — as when we rebuild," said Cephas Williams Jr., a group vice president at Target who is responsible for the stores in the Minneapolis area, in a company blog post Thursday morning.

"We want the Lake Street community to view this store as a part of itself, not just a place to shop," he said. "So we're listening to the voices of the community and applying what we're learning, and will continue to do so."

Some of the changes to the store that Target has planned are an expanded food and beverage section in response to community feedback, an additional entry being created close to the light rail for better access to commuters and other improvements both inside and outside the store such as landscaping.

"Our longer-term commitment is to create a space where the Lake Street community sees itself reflected — from the artwork on the walls to the products on our shelves," Williams said in the blog. "We'll keep listening to you to make sure we get there."

The store — which shoppers have turned to for necessities in south Minneapolis since 1976 — is across the street from where many of the protests took place following the Memorial Day killing of Floyd, who died after police pinned him to the ground by his neck for several minutes. The four former Minneapolis police officers involved have been charged.

The Target store was one of the first to be looted and damaged when riots broke out in the city. The store has been closed since then.

Target has selected Noor Cos., a local Black-owned general contractor and development company led by Somali American entrepreneur Nawal Noor, to lead the store's rebuilding.