A 1928 Sears mail-order warehouse and retail store in Minneapolis, now converted into mixed-use commercial space and the second-largest building in Minnesota by leasable floor area.
At a glance
The Midtown Exchange is a historic warehouse and retail complex built for Sears in Minneapolis’s Midtown neighborhood. Today it serves as a multipurpose commercial building housing office, retail, and other tenants.
History
Constructed in 1928, the building functioned as a Sears mail-order catalog facility and retail store for sixty-six years. Sears vacated the premises in 1994, leaving it empty for more than a decade. In 2005, the structure was redeveloped and converted into mixed-use commercial space, restoring purpose to the vacant landmark.
What you see
The building’s design reflects early twentieth-century warehouse architecture, engineered to serve both retail customers and the logistical demands of a national mail-order operation. Its scale reflects the commercial ambitions of its era.
Cultural significance
The Midtown Exchange represents a pivotal moment in American retail history, when mail-order catalogs shaped commerce and brought goods to distant communities. Its preservation and adaptive reuse demonstrates how industrial structures can find new life in changing economic landscapes.
Key facts
- Built 1928
- Original occupant: Sears, Roebuck and Company (1928–1994)
- Second-largest building in Minnesota by leasable space
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Sears, Roebuck and Company Mail-Order Warehouse and Retail Store
- Redeveloped 2005
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
- Coordinates: 44.94944444, -93.26055556
Practical information & getting there
The Midtown Exchange is located in Minneapolis’s Midtown neighborhood. As a mixed-use commercial building, much of it serves office and retail tenants, and public access varies by tenant.
Sources & resources
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