The largest shopping mall in North America is celebrating a big birthday with an eye to the future.
There have been several changes at the Mall of America over the course of 33 years. The mall opened August 11, 1992 on the site of Metropolitan Stadium, the original home of the Twins and Vikings.
"If you were here in the days when the mall first opened, we had tons of carpeting and dark colors and brass," says Dan Jasper who is the Mall's official storyteller. "And it was a dark feeling which was 90s. And now it's so live and fresh and we have so many acts that come to the rotunda."
And there's more change on the horizon, according to Jasper, who's been with the mall for 20 years.
"Our next new attraction will be a giant enclosed water park that will be attached to the mall, along with a third hotel attached to the mall and additional parking," Jasper explains. "And then we're looking even further beyond that as well. So the plans never stop. We're going to continue to grow and evolve."
Mall of America hosts more than 300 events a year, ranging from concerts to celebrity appearances and fashion shows, and also annually hosts WCCO's radiothon with the Union Gospel Mission.
Each year, around 32 million people from across the world visit the mall, generating nearly $2 billion each year in economic impact for the state according to Mall of America figures.
The City of Bloomington is currently reviewing the long talked about water park idea. The new design of the water park project in South Loop is approximately 143,000 square feet and would cost approximately $250 million. The city also says the total cost is closer to $375M for the total development including parking infrastructure and financing costs.
The water park features would include a wave pool, lazy river, a splash pad, 30 different slides and rides, and several pools and spas.
That water park would also include another hotel which would sport 500-700 rooms. There is already a Radisson Blu and JW Marriot attached to the mall.