When Southdale Center opened its doors in 1956, its neighbors included a poultry operation, a dairy farm, a riding stable and gravel pits. Doubters wondered why the Dayton brothers would bother to open a cutting-edge retail establishment “in the middle of nowhere,” but the department store magnates envisioned potential for suburban growth in the rural landscape.
Their dream materialized when Fairview Hospital of Minneapolis decided to branch out on a site near the thriving mall. When presented with the plan by Fairview executives, Bruce Dayton responded, “Sounds promising. What can we do for you?”
In 1958, the Dayton Corporation provided 15 acres just north of the mall to Fairview. “When it came to naming the new hospital, Bruce Dayton encouraged the hospital’s managers to use the Fairview name and add the registered ‘Southdale’ name,” according to a 2008 story in Edina’s About Town newsletter.
Ground was broken in 1963 for the $6.5 million Fairview Southdale Hospital. The 200,000-square-foot facility opened in 1965 with 231 physicians on staff and 225 beds, which made it the largest hospital in the Twin Cities metro area.
Fifty years later, Fairview Southdale Hospital is still Edina’s largest single employer, with more than 1,000 physicians, 2,200 health professionals and 500 volunteers. The Y-shaped building, designed for future growth, has had several additions, including a $42 million emergency room expansion that broke ground in September 2013.
