A long-empty anchor store in St. Paul's Midway is about to get one of the loudest second acts in the Twin Cities. On Friday, the St. Paul Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for LuLuLand Adventure Park, clearing the way for a 76,000 square foot indoor amusement center inside the former Herberger's at 1400 University Ave W.
A Long-Vacant Anchor Store Gets a Second Life
The Herberger's space has sat empty for eight years, and the surrounding Midway Marketplace has taken other hits, including the closing of an adjoining Cub Foods last year. Reactivating a space this size matters for the whole University Avenue corridor. When a big anchor sits dark, the storefronts around it feel it too, so a busy new tenant can lift foot traffic for everyone nearby.
What LuLuLand Adventure Park Will Include
The center will span two full floors with trampolines, an arcade, an obstacle course, indoor zip lines, and a toddler area, plus room for a new eatery and another retail tenant. It is owned by Marshall Nguyen of the Wyn Group, and LuLuLand already runs two locations in Virginia and one in Florida, with St. Paul among nine sites listed as coming soon.
Why This Matters for Twin Cities Families
Indoor entertainment is close to a survival category during a Minnesota winter, and suburban options like Slick City in Woodbury, Grand Slam in Burnsville, and the Fun Lab in Blaine have proven how much demand there is. St. Paul has never had a center of this kind inside the city, so this fills a real gap. It could also become a reason for families across the metro to visit the Midway and spend at nearby businesses. [INTERNAL LINK: relevant blog post or listings page]
What Happens Next
There is no opening date yet. The next step is filing for construction permits and completing facade work, including new glass doors. For a corridor that has been waiting on good news, an approved plan for a 76,000 square foot family draw is a strong start.
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