Dakota Square Mall
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedDakota Square Mall is an enclosed regional shopping center in Minot, North Dakota, serving shoppers across northwestern North Dakota and nearby Canada.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Dakota Square Mall is an enclosed shopping center in Minot, North Dakota, and one of the principal retail destinations in the northwestern part of the state. The property opened in 1980 and has developed as a regional rather than purely local mall, drawing customers from a broad trade area that extends toward the Canadian border. Its location approximately 50 miles from the United States–Canada border gives it an unusual cross-border customer base for a Midwestern shopping center. The mall encompasses approximately 675,000 square feet, or about 62,700 square meters, according to the cited reference material. As of 2005, it was described as the largest mall within roughly a 110-mile radius and the third-largest mall in North Dakota. The center has historically accommodated about 70 shops, a food court, department-store and specialty-retail anchors, and entertainment facilities. The tenant mix has included JCPenney, Target, Scheels All Sports, Barnes & Noble, AMC Theatres, T-Mobile, Carter's, Old Navy, and Ulta Beauty. Tenant occupancy and store formats have changed over time as department stores exited the U.S. mall market and former anchor spaces were subdivided for multiple retailers. A distinctive feature of Dakota Square Mall is its direct connection to a Sleep Inn & Suites hotel. The attached hotel opened in November 2003, and the related Splashdown Dakota Super Slides water-park complex opened in April 2004. The water park covers approximately 24,000 square feet. This combination of enclosed retail, lodging, and an indoor water attraction is relatively uncommon among U.S. shopping centers and broadens the property’s role beyond conventional shopping. Ownership has changed during the mall’s history. The property was formerly associated with JLL, later owned by The Lightstone Group, and sold to CBL & Associates Properties in May 2012. Publicly described tenant changes reflect the structural pressures affecting traditional department-store malls. Barnes & Noble opened at the center in March 2008, while Scheels expanded and Old Navy relocated within the mall during the same year. Sears announced a nationwide closure plan in 2017 and closed its Dakota Square location in September of that year. Herberger’s closed in August 2018 after its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, entered liquidation; the former space was subsequently divided among smaller or mid-sized tenants including Party City, Ross Dress for Less, T-Mobile, and Ulta Beauty. In 2021, Scheels announced plans to move into the former Sears space, with the relocation planned for 2022. This decision illustrates the mall’s effort to reposition a large former department-store box around an established regional retailer. Party City later closed in 2025 as part of the chain’s broader store-closure program. Dakota Square Mall therefore remains an active regional retail and entertainment property, but its tenant roster and physical configuration continue to evolve in response to retail consolidation, anchor-store closures, and changing consumer habits.
History
Dakota Square Mall opened in 1980 in Minot, North Dakota, establishing an enclosed regional shopping center for a large area of the state's northwestern communities. Its trade area extends well beyond Minot because of the region's low population density and the limited number of comparable large-scale retail destinations. The mall's proximity to the Canadian border also enables it to attract shoppers from nearby Canadian communities. By 2005, the property was described as approximately 675,000 square feet and the largest shopping mall within a radius of about 110 miles. It was also identified as North Dakota's third-largest mall. Its conventional retail offer consisted of department stores, specialty shops, food-court facilities, and entertainment. Over time, the center’s anchor and destination offer included JCPenney, Target, Scheels All Sports, and a nine-screen AMC cinema with stadium seating. Dakota Square developed an additional hospitality and leisure component in the early 2000s. A Sleep Inn & Suites hotel directly attached to the mall opened in November 2003. Splashdown Dakota Super Slides, a roughly 24,000-square-foot indoor water-park complex associated with the hotel, opened in April 2004. The connection of a hotel and water park to an enclosed mall is an unusual design feature in the United States and gives the property a stronger destination function than a standard retail center. The mall’s ownership history includes periods under JLL and The Lightstone Group. In May 2012, the property was sold to CBL & Associates Properties. Its later history has reflected the restructuring of the American department-store and specialty-retail sectors. Barnes & Noble opened on March 12, 2008. During 2008, Scheels expanded into space previously used by Old Navy, and Old Navy relocated elsewhere in the mall. The departure of traditional department-store anchors became more pronounced after 2017. Sears announced on June 6, 2017, that the Dakota Square store would close in a nationwide reduction involving 72 locations; the store shut in September of that year. Herberger’s followed after its parent, The Bon-Ton Stores, ceased operations. The Herberger’s location closed on August 26, 2018. Its former space was divided into smaller units for retailers including Party City, Ross Dress for Less, T-Mobile, and Ulta Beauty, allowing the mall to replace a single large anchor with a more varied tenant configuration. In February 2021, Scheels announced that it would relocate to the former Sears space, with the move planned for 2022. The announcement represented an effort to place an established regional destination retailer in a large vacant anchor box. Party City later closed in 2025 as part of the chain’s broad store-closure plan. The property remains an active shopping and entertainment center, with its role shaped by regional service, cross-border visitation, changing anchor tenants, and the integration of retail with hotel and water-park attractions.
- 2025
Party City closes
[1]Party City closes its location as part of the chain's larger national store-reduction program.
- 2021
Scheels announces move to former Sears space
[1]Scheels announces plans to relocate into the former Sears premises in 2022.
- 2018
Herberger's closes
[1]Herberger's shuts on August 26 after The Bon-Ton Stores ceases operations; the former anchor area is later subdivided.
- 2017
Sears closes
[1]The Sears store closes in September following a nationwide closure announcement.
- 2012
Property sold to CBL & Associates Properties
[1]CBL & Associates Properties acquires the mall in May after earlier ownership associated with JLL and The Lightstone Group.
- 2008
Barnes & Noble joins the tenant mix
[1]Barnes & Noble opens at Dakota Square Mall on March 12.
- 2008
Scheels expands and Old Navy relocates
[1]Scheels expands into former Old Navy space, while Old Navy moves to another unit in the mall.
- 2004
Splashdown Dakota Super Slides opens
[1]The approximately 24,000-square-foot water-park complex opens in April as part of the mall's hotel-linked leisure offering.
- 2003
Attached Sleep Inn & Suites opens
[1]A Sleep Inn & Suites hotel directly connected to the mall opens in November.
- 1980
Dakota Square Mall opens
[1]The enclosed shopping center opens in Minot, North Dakota, beginning its role as a regional retail destination.
Products and positioning
A regional enclosed shopping, dining, lodging, and entertainment destination serving Minot and a large rural trade area in northwestern North Dakota, with additional cross-border traffic from Canada.
Shopping mall · 1980
Regional enclosed shopping center
Dakota Square Mall provides a concentrated retail environment serving Minot and a broad surrounding trade area. Its offer has included department stores, specialty retailers, apparel, books, sporting goods, beauty products, children's merchandise, telecommunications, dining, and entertainment. The property has historically accommodated approximately 70 shops within about 675,000 square feet.
Cinema entertainment
AMC Theatres
The mall's entertainment offer includes a nine-screen AMC cinema with stadium seating, adding a destination use that complements retail shopping and food-court traffic.
Hotel and indoor water park · 2003
Sleep Inn & Suites and Splashdown Dakota Super Slides
A Sleep Inn & Suites hotel is directly attached to the mall. The associated Splashdown Dakota Super Slides complex provides approximately 24,000 square feet of indoor water-park space, making the property an integrated retail, lodging, and leisure destination.
Sporting goods retail
Scheels All Sports
Scheels All Sports is a major destination retailer associated with the mall. It expanded in 2008 and later announced plans to move into the former Sears space, reflecting its importance to Dakota Square's regional draw.
Brand decisions
2021
Relocate Scheels to the former Sears spaceStrategyBackground
Sears closed in 2017, leaving a large anchor location available for reuse.
Action taken
Scheels announced plans to relocate into the former Sears space in 2022.
Aftermath
The planned move was intended to place a major regional retailer in a large vacant anchor box and strengthen the mall's destination appeal.
2018
Subdivide the former Herberger's anchor spaceStrategyBackground
Herberger's closed after its parent company, The Bon-Ton Stores, went out of business, leaving a large former department-store unit vacant.
Action taken
The former Herberger's area was divided into smaller stores for tenants including Party City, Ross Dress for Less, T-Mobile, and Ulta Beauty.
Aftermath
The mall replaced a single department-store anchor with a multi-tenant configuration.
2008
Reconfigure space for Scheels expansionStrategyBackground
Scheels All Sports sought additional space within the mall, while Old Navy occupied the area that Scheels would use.
Action taken
Scheels expanded into the former Old Navy space, and Old Navy relocated to another mall unit.
Aftermath
The change increased space for a major regional sporting-goods destination while preserving Old Navy's presence in a different location.
Sources1 sources
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