Minneapolis Real Estate Blog

Nearly a decade after entering the Twin Cities market, Trader Joe’s again has plans for its first store in Minneapolis. The California-based grocer on Tuesday confirmed a long-standing rumor that it will join developer Sherman Associates on its new apartment and retail project, called the East End, at the intersection of Washington and Chicago avenues S. It’s the third chain grocery store to enter the downtown Minneapolis market, and the first to locate in the east half — a burgeoning area that includes the Mill District and Downtown East development next to U.S. Bank Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings’ future home. The 10,700-square-foot Trader Joe’s at 721 Washington Av. S. will include a separate entrance at 260 Chicago Av. S. for its 1,600 square foot wine shop. It is set to open in the first half of 2017. “This is a very big deal,” said Dan Collison, a neighborhood organizer and executive director of the East Downtown Council. “East Downtown [which includes Elliot Park and the Mill District] has been a grocery desert for decades with only a few convenience stores nearby.”