Gaviidae Common

Gaviidae Common is a mixed-use commercial development on Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It combines retail, office, parking, skyway connections, fitness, and community-service uses across two interconnected building components, generally identified as Gaviidae Common I and Gaviidae Common II. The development is notable for its position within Minneapolis’s downtown skyway system and for an architectural language that combines large public interior spaces with references to Minnesota’s natural environment. The first phase, Gaviidae Common I, opened in 1989 on the blocks between Fifth and Seventh Streets along Nicollet Mall. It was developed and managed at opening by Brookfield Properties, with Saks Fifth Avenue serving as the original anchor. The five-floor building contains retail and office areas surrounding a large central atrium, along with underground parking. Its design is associated with Argentine American architect César Pelli, who used dark blue structural elements, bronze and dark green exterior metalwork, clear glass, Italian marble, glass block, and gold-colored accents. A large barrel-vaulted ceiling spans the atrium, while a suspended loon sculpture and related artwork reflect the center’s name and regional identity. The term Gaviidae refers to the bird family that includes loons. Gaviidae Common II opened in 1991 as part of the adjoining RBC Plaza complex. Designed by Chicago-based Lohan Associates, it occupied the site of a former JCPenney department store and included a Neiman Marcus department store as its principal retail occupant. The second phase connected with Gaviidae Common I through skyways and included underground parking. It was also distinguished by red architectural accents and a dramatic interior waterfall described in contemporary accounts as an upward-flowing waterfall. The connected structures helped establish Gaviidae Common as part of a broader downtown pedestrian network, with links to nearby office buildings including 33 South Sixth, 50 South Sixth, the IDS Center, and Wells Fargo Center. The center’s retail profile changed substantially during the 2000s and 2010s. Saks Fifth Avenue reduced its presence in 2005 by vacating its full-price department-store space and retaining a smaller Saks Off Fifth clearance operation. Neiman Marcus announced in 2012 that it would leave its approximately 118,000-square-foot location, citing weak performance and an inability to meet the chain’s long-term operating objectives. The store closed in 2013. The food court, known as State Fare, also closed in 2013, removing a collection of national fast-food and casual dining tenants from the upper portion of Gaviidae Common II. Following ownership changes and redevelopment planning, upper levels formerly used for retail and food service were repurposed for office and recreational functions associated with RBC Plaza. The conversion of the food-court area alone was estimated at approximately $4 million, while basement improvements created fitness facilities and locker rooms for office employees. These changes marked a shift from a traditional department-store-centered shopping mall toward a mixed-use downtown property with a smaller retail component. Gaviidae Common I underwent additional ownership and occupancy changes. Nightingale Properties acquired the building in 2013 and divided it into six parts for resale in 2014. The associated parking garage was sold separately later that year. Saks Off Fifth closed in January 2015 and moved to Minneapolis City Center across Nicollet Mall. Walgreens subsequently developed space in portions of the former Saks area. In 2016, the YMCA purchased three floors of Gaviidae Common I and later sold a substantial portion of the third- and fourth-floor area to United Properties. The YMCA invested more than $30 million in adapting its space, including facilities for the Douglass Dayton YMCA, offices for approximately 400 employees, and the local YMCA headquarters. The new facility opened to the public on March 6, 2018, broadening Gaviidae Common’s role beyond conventional retail. Its grand opening included a ribbon-cutting attended by Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey. Today, Gaviidae Common is best understood as a downtown mixed-use development whose identity rests on its architecture, skyway connectivity, surviving street-level retail, office functions, and institutional and recreational tenants rather than on a conventional department-store mall model.

Gaviidae Common developed as part of the late twentieth-century modernization of Nicollet Mall and downtown Minneapolis. Its first phase, Gaviidae Common I, opened in 1989 between Fifth and Seventh Streets. The project was developed by Brookfield Properties, which managed the center from its opening until September 2013. César Pelli designed the first phase, creating a five-floor retail and office building organized around a prominent central atrium. The building incorporated underground parking and was connected to Minneapolis’s expanding skyway network. Saks Fifth Avenue was the original anchor tenant. The design of Gaviidae Common I emphasized both urban commercial activity and regional imagery. Its atrium was covered by a large barrel-vaulted ceiling, described as the largest of its kind in Minnesota. A loon sculpture weighing approximately 600 pounds was suspended in the atrium, accompanied by loon-inspired artwork by Deborah Sussman and Paul Prejza. The name Gaviidae refers to the biological family that includes loons. Pelli’s palette included dark blue pillars, bronze and dark green exterior metalwork, clear glass bay windows, Italian marble, glass block, and gold accents. Gaviidae Common II opened in 1991 as the northern component of the development. Lohan Associates designed the building, which was constructed above the site of a former JCPenney department store and integrated with the RBC Plaza office complex. Neiman Marcus occupied the principal retail space and opened with the second phase. The building included an underground garage with approximately 700 spaces and was connected to Gaviidae Common I by skyways. Its architectural treatment differed from the first phase, using red accents and a notable interior waterfall described as flowing upward. The connected buildings also formed part of a network linking nearby office properties, including 33 South Sixth, 50 South Sixth, the IDS Center, and Wells Fargo Center. The development initially operated as a department-store-oriented shopping center, but its tenant composition changed over time. Saks Fifth Avenue left its original 84,000-square-foot space in January 2005, retaining only a 27,000-square-foot Saks Off Fifth clearance store. Neiman Marcus announced in July 2012 that it would close its approximately 118,000-square-foot store because the location was underperforming and could not achieve the retailer’s long-term operational goals. The store closed in 2013. Around the same period, the State Fare food court on the fourth floor also closed. It had housed national restaurant brands including Burger King, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Taco John’s. The departure of major retailers led to a broad repositioning of the property. After KBS Companies acquired Gaviidae Common II in 2013, plans were developed to improve both that building and RBC Plaza. Rather than replace all former retail uses, the upper floors were converted into office and recreational space serving the larger office complex. The food-court conversion was estimated to cost approximately $4 million, and construction began after the restaurant tenants departed in October 2013. Basement areas were also adapted for a fitness center and employee locker rooms. Gaviidae Common I experienced a separate ownership transition in 2013, when Nightingale Properties acquired it for $26.25 million. In October 2014, Nightingale divided the building into six components for resale. The 450-stall parking garage was sold in December 2014 to Gaviidae Commons LLC, a partnership associated with Chicago-based InterPark. Saks Off Fifth closed on January 17, 2015, and relocated to Minneapolis City Center across the street. Walgreens later began developing portions of the former Saks space. Institutional use expanded in 2016 when the YMCA purchased three floors of Gaviidae Common I for $9.9 million. The YMCA subsequently sold a 50,000-square-foot section on the third and fourth floors to United Properties. More than $30 million was invested in the YMCA’s adaptation of its remaining space. The resulting facility became the new home of the Douglass Dayton YMCA, included offices for approximately 400 employees, and housed the local YMCA headquarters. It opened to the public on March 6, 2018, with a grand-opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey. These changes transformed Gaviidae Common from a conventional downtown shopping center anchored by luxury department stores into a more varied mixed-use complex. Retail remains part of the development, including Walgreens and other commercial premises, but office, recreation, institutional, and community-service functions now occupy a larger role. Its architectural features, public atrium, skyway connections, and location on Nicollet Mall continue to define the property’s identity.

• 2018

  YMCA facility opens

  [1]Gaviidae Commonen.wikipedia.org

  The new Douglass Dayton YMCA facility opens to the public on March 6.

• 2016

  YMCA acquires space in Gaviidae Common I

  [1]Gaviidae Commonen.wikipedia.org

  The YMCA purchases three floors and begins a major conversion for fitness, community, headquarters, and office functions.

• 2014

  Gaviidae Common I is divided for resale

  [1]Gaviidae Commonen.wikipedia.org

  Nightingale Properties subdivides the first-phase building into six components and sells the parking garage separately.

• 2013

  Major retail and food-service vacancies begin redevelopment

  [1]Gaviidae Commonen.wikipedia.org

  Neiman Marcus and the State Fare food court close, while ownership changes lead to plans for office, recreational, and employee-support uses.

• 2005

  Saks converts its main store to a clearance operation

  [1]Gaviidae Commonen.wikipedia.org

  Saks Fifth Avenue leaves its full-price space and retains a smaller Saks Off Fifth store.

• 1991

  Gaviidae Common II opens

  [1]Gaviidae Commonen.wikipedia.org

  The northern phase opens as part of RBC Plaza, with Neiman Marcus as its principal department-store tenant.

• 1989

  Gaviidae Common I opens

  [1]Gaviidae Commonen.wikipedia.org

  The first phase opens on Nicollet Mall with Saks Fifth Avenue as its original anchor and a César Pelli-designed atrium complex.

A downtown Minneapolis mixed-use commercial center combining retail, office, recreation, community services, parking, and skyway access, with a strong architectural and regional design identity.

• Mixed-use retail and office building · 1989

  Gaviidae Common I

  The first phase of Gaviidae Common opened in 1989 and occupies a major Nicollet Mall block between Fifth and Seventh Streets. Designed by César Pelli, it contains retail and office areas arranged around a large atrium with a barrel-vaulted ceiling, loon artwork, skyway connections, and underground parking. The building’s tenant mix has shifted from department-store retail toward a combination of street-level commerce, offices, institutional uses, and recreational facilities.

• Mixed-use retail and office building · 1991

  Gaviidae Common II

  Opened in 1991, Gaviidae Common II forms the northern portion of the development and occupies the lower levels of the RBC Plaza complex. Designed by Lohan Associates, it originally featured Neiman Marcus and a food court known as State Fare. After those retail uses closed, upper floors were repurposed for office and recreational functions connected with RBC Plaza. The building remains integrated into the downtown skyway system.

• Fitness and community facility · 2018

  Douglass Dayton YMCA at Gaviidae Common

  The YMCA facility occupies multiple floors of Gaviidae Common I and opened to the public in 2018 after an investment of more than $30 million. It serves as the new home of the Douglass Dayton YMCA and includes fitness and community facilities, offices for approximately 400 employees, and headquarters functions for the local YMCA organization. Its arrival expanded the property’s role from retail and office use to a major institutional and recreational destination.

• Retail space · 1989

  Gaviidae Common retail premises

  Retail premises at Gaviidae Common have included luxury department stores, discount apparel, restaurants, pharmacies, and other downtown services. The center’s retail mix was historically anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus, but later shifted toward smaller-scale and service-oriented occupancy. Walgreens became an important replacement tenant in portions of the former Saks space after Saks Off Fifth departed.

• 2016

  YMCA acquires and redevelops multiple floorsM&A

  Background

  The YMCA sought a new location for its Douglass Dayton facility and local headquarters as the building’s tenant mix changed.

  Action taken

  The YMCA purchased three floors of Gaviidae Common I, while United Properties acquired a 50,000-square-foot section of the third and fourth floors.

  Aftermath

  More than $30 million was invested in the YMCA conversion, which opened in 2018 and established a substantial community and recreational presence at the property.

  YMCA acquisition price. $9.9 million (2016)

  Source

• 2013

  Upper retail and food-court areas are converted to office and recreational useStrategy

  Background

  Neiman Marcus and the State Fare food court closed during a period of weakening department-store and food-service occupancy.

  Action taken

  Plans associated with RBC Plaza repurposed upper floors for office and recreational functions and adapted basement areas for employee fitness and locker facilities.

  Aftermath

  The property moved toward a mixed-use model centered on office, institutional, and recreational occupancy rather than large-format department stores.

  Estimated cost of food-court conversion. $4 million (2013)

  Source

• 2005

  Saks Fifth Avenue reduces its footprintStrategy

  Background

  Saks Fifth Avenue vacated its approximately 84,000-square-foot full-price department-store premises while retaining a smaller clearance operation.

  Action taken

  The retailer replaced its principal full-price presence with a roughly 27,000-square-foot Saks Off Fifth store.

  Aftermath

  The change reduced the development’s luxury department-store footprint and preceded the eventual closure and relocation of Saks Off Fifth in 2015.

  Source

1. 1Gaviidae Commonen.wikipedia.org