Echoes in an Empty Corridor: Four Seasons Mall in Plymouth, MN
It’s quiet now, almost too quiet—just the faint hum of traffic drifting from nearby roads.
Sunlight slants through what remains of cracked skylights, casting patchy light onto floors that once gleamed.
Opened in 1978, Four Seasons Mall once buzzed with energy, a place Plymouth residents flocked to on weekends and holidays.
Built on 22 acres by RMF Group, the mall was charming, if not large. It offered 117,000 square feet of retail space across 26 storefronts.
From the start, its design was quirky: a single, curved hallway lined with shops on one side and windows on the other, letting daylight fill the corridors.
Regional favorites filled those shops—small boutiques, cafes, and specialty stores.
Over time, it became a place where people would meet for lunch at the Italian restaurant or pick up unique gifts at the Christmas-themed shop that opened in 2002.
There was even a natural foods market and a popular Thai eatery, adding to its appeal.
Community events, such as the quirky pet Olympics and local craft fairs, regularly draw families, giving residents another reason to visit.
Today, it’s remembered among Plymouth residents as a nostalgic echo in lists of past things to do in Plymouth, MN.
The Walmart Deal That Never Was
By the early 2000s, Four Seasons Mall faced stiff competition.
Shoppers began favoring larger malls around the Twin Cities, places like Ridgedale Center and Arbor Lakes, with big anchor stores and updated facilities.
Foot traffic at Four Seasons dwindled. By 2010, nearly half its retail spaces were empty, leaving quiet corridors and shuttered storefronts.
Even local favorites—like the natural food market and the cozy Italian restaurant—struggled to attract customers.
Walmart saw an opportunity. On November 30, 2010, the retail giant purchased the mall for $10.6 million, promising a new future.
Surveyors envisioned a sprawling, 240,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter, big enough to breathe new life into the fading site.
Plymouth officials refused to budge. A 240,000-square-foot superstore would mean more traffic and strain on the wetlands—too much for the city to accept.
Walmart trimmed it to 87,000 square feet, hoping to make it work. The answer stayed the same: rejected. The project never made it past the drawing board.
The last holdouts at Four Seasons included Marcello’s Pizza—a community staple that had served slices since 1984—alongside Curves International and a family-run Asian restaurant.
However, by late 2010, Walmart, having bought the property for redevelopment, refused to renew leases.
Marcello’s Pizza closed its doors on February 29, 2012, after nearly three decades, ending an era.
The last tenants cleared out. Chairs left stacked, signs unlit, storefronts hollow.
Spaces that once buzzed with conversation and routine now stood still—no dinners, no workouts, just silence settling in.
By January 2015, after nearly five years of back-and-forth, Walmart gave up. Walmart’s exit left the mall in freefall. Another deal collapsed, and another promise faded.
In the silence that followed, the Four Seasons stood still, a shell of its former self.
Plymouth residents watched and waited, wondering if something else might someday fill the empty halls.
Clearing the Way for New Commerce
The city planned carefully for the site’s future.
Early concepts proposed by Dominium, a housing developer, included a sprawling $130 million redevelopment featuring apartments, commercial spaces, and a three-story Plymouth Metrolink park-and-ride.
Dominium had envisioned a five-story senior apartment building with 210 units and two additional residential buildings offering 220 apartments.
The plan called for retail shops, offices, and a healthcare clinic—an attempt to replace emptiness with activity.
Developers envisioned a space where people would work, shop, and gather, turning a long-abandoned lot into something alive again.
Yet, the ambitious proposal fell through due to funding shortfalls.
By May 2021, Plymouth city officials knew something had to change.
After Walmart’s stalled plans and Dominium’s abandoned proposal, Plymouth took control, purchasing Four Seasons Mall for $6.7 million, determined to shape its future on its own terms.
The mall sat empty too long, becoming more of a burden than a benefit.
On November 28, 2022, demolition crews arrived, machines rumbling to life. A $775,000 state grant helped fund the teardown, which had been a decade in the making.
Walls crumbled, storefronts collapsed, and dust rose where shoppers once walked.
Locals watched as Four Seasons Mall disappeared, one piece at a time.
By early 2023, demolition was complete. The land sat empty—cleared, waiting, and open to whatever came next.
Blueprint for Revival
By 2023, Plymouth had outlined preliminary construction plans, aiming to transform the former Four Seasons Mall site into a mixed-use development.
The proposal included apartments, retail spaces, a new Plymouth Metrolink park-and-ride, and office buildings—clear indicators that the city was committed to revitalizing the long-vacant property.
The latest development plans called for two modern apartment complexes with over 400 units featuring contemporary designs and amenities.
One building was planned to rise six stories high and house 192 units, while the other, a four-story structure, would have housed 220 units.
The mix of housing was intended to attract a range of residents, from young professionals to retirees seeking convenience.
Retail spaces totaling 17,500 square feet were expected to bring restaurants, cafes, and small businesses to the site, reviving foot traffic in an area that had been quiet for years.
The plans also included a three-story Plymouth Metrolink park-and-ride, which would improve transit access and link the development more directly to the wider Twin Cities region.
A separate 32,000-square-foot office building was projected to draw daily commerce, creating steady movement throughout the site.
The redevelopment was anticipated to generate 72 new jobs while preserving another 60, contributing an estimated $1.5 million annually to Plymouth’s tax base.
For city officials, it represented more than economic numbers—it was a long-overdue effort to bring life back to a site that had sat empty for far too long.
However, by 2024, Plymouth had abandoned its partnership with Wellington Management and withdrawn from the 2022 proposal that would have introduced retail, office space, commuter parking, and more than 400 apartments.
A New Future Takes Shape
For years, the Four Seasons Mall site in Plymouth, Minnesota, sat empty, a patch of land waiting for purpose.
Now, in 2025, the city is pushing forward, determined to turn this long-dormant space into something new.
Plymouth’s vision for the site isn’t just another commercial development—it’s a reinvention.
The city wants a blend of housing, small businesses, and public transit access that fits the area’s needs.
A new park-and-ride facility is in the works, offering commuters an easier way to get around.
Along Rockford Road, developers are considering storefronts that could bring back some of the foot traffic lost when the mall was torn down.
But challenges remain. The land itself is tricky—soft soil, nearby wetlands, and the remnants of the old mall’s foundation make construction complicated.
When Four Seasons Mall was first built, engineers had to use pilings to keep it stable.
Now, any new project will have to navigate the same problem. The city is actively working to find solutions, bringing in specialists to figure out how to make the site viable for modern development.
There has been no official groundbreaking yet, and no steel beams have been raised from the dirt. But discussions are happening, blueprints are being drawn, and momentum is building.
Plymouth isn’t willing to let this space sit empty much longer. The next phase of Four Seasons Mall’s story is on the horizon—it just needs the right developer to bring it to life.
