Macy’s Downtown Minneapolis Exit Raises Skyway Concerns

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — It’s vexing enough that the exit of Macy’s flagship store from from downtown is imminent. Now, downtown business leaders are left wondering what will become of the Macy’s skyway hub, a major stop along an enclosed sidewalk network that winds through businesses and offers protection from Minnesota’s harsh winters.

The store’s closure could put more pedestrians on eye-level with downtown businesses, a result long sought by businesses literally left out in the Minnesota cold from October to April, when pedestrians almost exclusively use the skyway. The hope is for minimal disruption, but it depends on decisions yet to be made by 610W Companies, the New York investment firm that is buying the Macy’s property.

Macy’s said Wednesday the iconic store in downtown Minneapolis is among 68 nationwide that will be shuttered by early spring. Closing stores is expected to boost profitability and give customers a better experience at a fewer number of stores, the company said.

• See Also: Macy’s to Close Iconic Downtown Minneapolis Store

One concern about Macy’s departure is the skyway is mainly financed by downtown building owners. Downtown Council President Steve Cramer told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that “a lot of people are wondering” about skyway access.

The Macy’s skyway hub is one of the biggest downtown. It provides crossings over Nicollet Mall, as well as connections to the IDS Center, US Bancorp Center, Highland Bank Court and City Center. It’s also one of the busiest, drawing about 15,000 trips a day, according to Peter Bruce, a consultant who tracks pedestrian traffic told the Star Tribune.

The skyway that drew so much traffic to Macy’s may have been the reason for the store’s closure, said Eric Dayton, a North Loop business owner who wants to get pedestrians off the skyways so they can funnel past street-level businesses.

“The fact that so many people probably saw Macy’s as a through-way to get to wherever they were going is, in my opinion, a big reason why they’re closing,” Dayton told the newspaper. “People were cutting through Macy’s but they weren’t shopping there. They weren’t supporting it.”

Image via Google Street View