Whenever a local discussion turns to the Moorhead Center Mall, it is not uncommon to hear, “Moorhead has a mall?” In an age where bigger is better and big-box stores attempt to corner the shopping market, it can be difficult for businesses like the mall to compete. New Moorhead Center mall manager Melissa Rademacher believes that can change. That means redefining the mall’s mission and understanding its place within the Fargo/Moorhead community. “I don’t want to compete (with Fargo); but instead, build relationships and work as partners,” she said. Rademacher understands the part of the battle is simply ensuring people know the mall exists. She believes that creating multiple partnerships with area groups and organizations is the first step. “Anything we can do to bring people to the mall will build awareness,” she said. Part of Rademacher’s focus involves bringing events to the mall. A recent Kids Fest drew over 1,000 people to the mall. According to Rademacher, that is simply the beginning.

Rademacher grew up in Fargo, where she attended Fargo South High School. She stayed in the area to go to college, studying retail merchandising, marketing, and business at North Dakota State University. Since then, Rademacher has carved out a very successful career in the fashion industry. Despite managing stores like Vanity and Abercrombie & Fitch on both the east and west coasts, Rademacher returned to the Red River Valley to embrace her roots and remain close to her family. Never one to back down from a challenge, she eagerly accepted the position as mall manager. “The goal and challenge is to revitalize the mall,” she said. “I remember how cool the mall was as a kid and I want to bring life back to it.” If there is one thing that will accomplish that goal, it is Rademacher’s fresh, vibrant, and forward-thinking outlook. The mall model of the past has become all but obsolete thanks to large retail corporations and online shopping. In order to compete, mall authorities will need to be able to think outside the box and create a new vision for the business.

Rademacher understands the direction the mall will likely have to take in order to become competitive again. She wants to add one-of-a-kind niche stores and partner with local small businesses to make the mall distinctive and unique. “I want to partner with people with passion,” she explained. “I am very passionate about helping the small thrive.” Part of making the mall thrive includes continuing her own education. “I want to be knowledgeable about all scopes of retail,” she explained. For Rademacher, that process includes obtaining her commercial real estate license. There is no such thing as resting on her laurels or being satisfied with where she is. Rademacher is always looking forward and striving to be the best possible person/worker she can be. It is that kind of motivation and drive that can propel the Moorhead Center Mall to heights it hasn’t enjoyed in quite some time.

Some people may think shopping malls are a contemporary invention. That is not the case. In fact, public shopping spaces date back to Ancient Rome, when markets were constructed to maximize space and shopper interaction. The early indoor mall prototype was initially developed right here in Minnesota. The Lake View Store at Morgan Park in Duluth was constructed in 1915. It is one of the earliest recorded shopping malls. Fully enclosed malls similar to the ones shoppers enjoy today began springing up all over the nation in the early 1950s. Currently, the largest shopping mall in the world is the New South China Mall in Dongguan. The massive mall boasts a gross floor area of 892,000 square meters. What is the most visited shopping mall in the world and the largest in the United States? Bloomington’s own Mall of America.

Although the Moorhead Center Mall will likely never compete with the likes of West Acres or other local shopping malls, that doesn’t mean that it can’t enjoy the same level of success and notoriety within its own niche. Rademacher envisions a mall created with mutually beneficial partnerships with businesses and groups all over the Red River Valley. She is currently developing partnerships with local arts organizations at colleges to display art throughout the mall and bring an artistic sensibility to the space. In addition, existing partnerships like the one the mall enjoys with Bountiful Baskets, a local organic food organization, will continue to bring additional people into the mall.

One of the biggest things Rademacher credits for the revitalization that has already taken place within the mall is the significant partnership developed with Moorhead Mayor Del Rae Williams. The mayor has made a concerted effort to bring people into the mall. For example, her monthly “Coffee with Mayor Del Rae” program is held in the mall’s atrium. Mayor Del Rae was featured in the Extra in March. In regards to the mall, she said, “There are going to be a lot of neat things happening in the mall.” The mayor would like to extend that revitalization to all of the downtown Moorhead area. As the centerpiece of that area, the mall is a great place to start.

Rademacher knows that the battle to make the Moorhead Center Mall relevant in the Fargo/Moorhead area is going to be hard-fought. Maybe that is what appeals to her the most. “I really like a challenge,” she said. One of those challenges includes getting past the competitive factor that often exists between businesses. “I really want to get past that and work together,” she said. “It’s all about partnerships.” If Rademacher’s time at the mall is any indication of her level of dedication and passion, the mall is in very good hands.

For more information on the Moorhead Center Mall and all it has to offer the Fargo/Moorhead community, visit www.moorheadcentermall.com.

Moorhead Center Mall Hours of Operation:

· Monday – Friday 10:00am – 9:00pm

· Saturday 10:00am – 5:00pm

· Sunday 12:00 – 5:00pm