Seven Points is an indoor shopping mall located at the southeast corner of Hennepin Avenue and West Lake Street, the main intersection of the Uptown district of Minneapolis, Minnesota. It opened on February 15, 1984, and was previously known as Calhoun Square until October 2020.
Overview
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States |
| Coordinates | 44°56′51″N 93°17′50″W |
| Opened | February 15, 1984 (42 years ago) |
| Owner | Northpond Partners |
| Public transit | Bus interchange, Metro Transit |
| Website | calhounsquare.com |
History
The atrium-style indoor mall was created in the early 1980s by local developer Ray Harris, who redeveloped a series of older buildings—including the Geanakoplos Building (1917)—into the shopping center. During the early stages, neighborhood activists opposed to the project launched the "Dump Updale" campaign ("Up" for Uptown; "dale" a reference to suburban Twin Cities malls ending in "dale," such as Southdale Center and Ridgedale Center).
Harris completed the renovation and construction in 1983 and retained ownership until 2004, when he sold the mall to a Des Moines, Iowa, investment group. In 2007, Calhoun Square was sold to an affiliate of New York–based BlackRock Inc. for $47.3 million. Following a 2008 renovation, the mall attracted national and international tenants including LA Fitness, H&M, and CB2.
Local ownership returned in 2014 when developer Stuart Ackerberg purchased the mall from BlackRock. The Ackerberg Group completed an interior remodel in 2015. In October 2019, Chicago-based investment firm Northpond Partners purchased the building for $34.5 million.
Renaming to Seven Points
On June 19, 2020, the owners announced that Calhoun Square would be renamed "to disavow the slavery advocate for which the building was originally named"—John C. Calhoun, the 19th-century U.S. politician and defender of slavery. This decision followed the 2017 renaming of nearby Lake Calhoun to Bde Maka Ska, as well as the murder of George Floyd. On October 21, 2020, the new name Seven Points was officially announced, referring to the pointed sign atop the roof of the building. Ownership stated: "A property named for a known racist and champion of slavery has no place in Minneapolis or anywhere in our society."
Cultural Note
Musician Prince wrote a song titled "Calhoun Square," released on disc two of his Crystal Ball CD.
