Edina's Southdale Center will renovate its cluster of closed restaurants later this year

Southdale Center, the country's first enclosed shopping mall, will soon have a sleek new redesign.

Starting late this year, the mall owners will work to redo the facade of the southeast portion of the mall. The Edina retail locale will also have an upscale interior renovation that will help make way for more than 20 new "luxury and aspirational brands" — per owner Simon Property Group — in the next two years.

"We are at a really exciting time where we are pulling all of the things together ... all of the improvements and the great additions that we have done," said Judy Tullius, general manager at Southdale.

This is the latest revamp for the popular suburban shopping center, whose mixed-use evolution has included apartments and the Homewood Suites hotel. The most recent additions, in 2019, were Restoration Hardware, which opened its multi-level furniture and design store, and the Life Time opening – a large complex that includes a fitness club, co-working office and soccer field where JCPenney once stood.

"Southdale's iconic status ... makes it a unique gem within our portfolio and a prioritized target for creating an elevated offering," said Jonathan Murphy, co-president of Simon Property Group's mall platform, in a statement.

P.F. Chang's, Buffalo Wild Wings and other stores have recently closed or vacated from the area marked for renovation. The Cheesecake Factory will remain open.

Renderings show new lighting and greenery along with a new exterior look. A more modern, lighter variety wood will replace the cherry. Improvements will start in the southeast portion of the mall and will spread to other common areas.

The remodel follows plans announced earlier this year to move a Kowalski's Markets grocery store into the former Herberger's department store space, which should open next year. Tech-infused mini golf outlet Puttshack is scheduled to open next spring on the second floor of the former Herberger's above Kowalski's and will include a third-level rooftop.

"Our vision for Southdale is in line with high-profile Simon properties across the country, including Phipps Plaza in Atlanta, The Shops at Crystals in Las Vegas and Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto, Calif., a blending of highly sought-after retail brands with a curated mix of dining and entertainment that will enhance the center's positioning as the market's pre-eminent experiential shopping destination," Murphy said.

Peoples Organic, which has temporarily relocated to the center's dining pavilion entrance during the construction, will permanently move back next to Kowalski's. The space will be more than twice the size of the location Peoples Organic previously had in the nearby Galleria (where it moved from in 2021). The renovation will improve its private gathering space and drapery, and a chandelier will add a luxe touch to its rustic decor.

"We are excited for it. … It's always fun when you get new stuff around you," said Peoples Organic co-owner Juell Roberts, who owns the cafe with her husband, Ray.

Luxury goods continue to be a hot growth market in the United States. Despite many consumers' issues with rising inflationary prices of necessities, the luxury market remains strong. Experts project personal luxury retail sales to continue to grow through 2026, though the double-digit growth it experienced last year should slow.

"The luxury brands that we bring in will really aid and enhance the tenant mix that we already have," Tullius said.

Even with its iconic status, Southdale, like most malls, suffered during the pandemic. In June 2020, the mall had a total occupancy of 67%. The mall has appeared to rebound with foot traffic last year higher than in 2021.