About Mall of America®
Since opening its doors in 1992, Mall of America has revolutionized the shopping experience of tens of millions of visitors a year. A leader in retail, entertainment and attractions, Mall of America is one of the top tourist destinations in the country and is known around the world.
History
In 1982, the Minnesota Twins and Vikings relocated from the Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington to the H.H.H. Metrodome in downtown Minneapolis. This created an unprecedented development opportunity for 78 acres of prime real estate. Three years later, the Bloomington Port Authority purchased the stadium site and began entertaining proposals for development. Mall of America was chosen from four final proposals, and on June 14, 1989, developers and local dignitaries broke ground. On August 11, 1992, when Mall of America® opened its doors, 330 stores opened for business and more than 10,000 employees started their first day of work.
Today
Mall of America hosts more than 300 events a year, ranging from concerts to celebrity appearances and fashion shows. Each year, 32 million people from around the world visit the mall, generating nearly $2 billion each year in economic impact for the state.
Green Initiatives
Mall of America is committed to sustainable energy initiatives through best operational practices, cutting edge technology + long-term investments.
- MOA does not use a central heating system; instead, 70 degrees is maintained year-round with passive solar energy from 1.2 miles of skylights and heat generated from lighting, store fixtures + body heat
- More than 30,000 live plants and 300 live trees act as natural air purifiers within MOA
- Completing the largest LED parking garage lighting conversion in the nation reduced electrical consumption by 7 million KWH annually
- MOA recycles more than 60% of its waste—an average of 32,000 tons per year
- MOA recycles more than 2,400 tons of food waste to a local hog farm, which feeds more than 1 million hog meals annually
- MOA converts the fat from restaurant fryers into more than 4,000 pounds of biodiesel per month—enough fuel for a 53-foot semi-truck to travel from New York to Los Angeles five times
- MOA has more than 275 water-efficient toilets that save over 1.4 million gallons of water a year
- The newest entrance to Mall of America, located on the north side of the building, includes a state-of-the-art electrochromic glass skylight that adds to the esthetics of the building and results in substantial energy savings
The long-term expansion vision for Mall of America will:
- Divert at least 50 percent of construction waste to recycling facilities rather than landfills
- Reduce environmental impacts from transportation by using building materials that are extracted and manufactured within a 500-mile radius of the project site
- Use water efficient plants and irrigation techniques to reduce the use of potable water by 50 percent
- Reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants by using low-emitting adhesives and sealants, paints and coatings, carpet systems, and composite wood and agri-fiber products
- Implement sustainable initiatives already successfully in-use at Mall of America