Part of the former Macy’s store in downtown St. Paul is being sold and is expected to house a national retailer.
MPR News reports that the St. Paul Port Authority has come to a “tentative deal” to sell the southwest corner of the building, around a tenth of its total size, to a group called NLD Wabasha for $2.5 million.
The identity of the retailer taking over the space is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks, but the news station reports they will occupy 17,870 square feet on the Wabasha Street level, and 7,700 square feet at skyway level.
The Star Tribune reports that the building has remained unused since Macy’s closed its doors more than 2 years ago, while the Port Authority bought the 2.25-acre site, with 363,000 square feet of space, for $3 million more than a year ago.
It is hoped the confirmation of a new tenant will lead to a flurry of new tenants in the building, after the Port Authority decided against demolishing and re-building on the site, the newspaper notes.
It was revealed in February that the Minnesota Wild have been in talks over using part of the building for a training facility, much in the same way the Timberwolves are doing with the Block E unit in downtown Minneapolis.
And the Pioneer Press reports that these talks are ongoing, though the Wild currently have all of their focus on their playoffs push.
“They just have their hands full with a few other activities right now,” the Port Authority’s Lee Krueger told the newspaper. “We have a great working relationship with them.”
