Edina’s go-to shopping district, 50th and France, prepares to keep pace with today’s retail marketplace with renovations that will add more shop space and some entertainment areas.
“It’s kind of challenging right now,” Rachel Thelemann, director of the 50th and France Business Association, says of the construction process, “but there’s going to be so much in the end.”
The renovations will happen in two phases, the first being the expansion of the North ramp on Market Street. An addition of two buildings next to the ramp will provide more retail space. Phase one has an expected completion date of September 2018, and once complete, more parking and several new stores will be in place for shoppers.
Phase two will involve shutting down the center ramp. In its place will be more retail, apartments and a public plaza space. Those construction efforts are expected to last through September, 2019.
To make up for the parking space lost from the center ramp, an additional level of parking opened on the North ramp last month. “We want to be accommodating to our customers, so we made the North ramp bigger,” Thelemann says, “We’ll also have a valet service going [during construction] so [shoppers] don’t have to park and walk a ways.” Valet parking will be available in front of D’Amico & Sons as well as Spalon Montage on Market Street.
While no new shops are confirmed yet, Thelemann says an outdoor plaza is coming. The plaza will be open year-round as a venue for music and shows. There will also be seasonal water and fire features. The developers are pushing for more small, unique boutiques and chef driven restaurants. This will maintain the vibe we love about this celebrated shopping district. During the wait for these improvements, our favorite stores and restaurants are still open. So locals are encouraged to continue their long-standing support of the area.
