THE WEST END

WHERE IS THE WEST END?

For the purpose of this page, the West End is bordered by:

  • Wayzata Blvd. on the north
  • Highway 100 on the east
  • Cedar Lake Road on the south
  • Park Place Blvd. on the west

Much of the area that bordered Wayzata Blvd. that would become the West End consisted of large truck farms owned by Julius Held and the Evanoff family.  In January 1953 Held and A.F.R. Svenson requested that 20.87 acres be rezoned commercial.  The southern portion of the tract belonged to Minnesota Sand and Gravel.

 

GOLDEN VALLEY IN THE PARK

One interesting note is that part of the West End actually belongs to Golden Valley.  How that came to be is unclear, but it appears that no land swap is contemplated, and redevelopment will proceed with agreements between the two jurisdictions as to utilities, police and fire protection, etc.  The tracts that are in Golden Valley are being renumbered, but their former addresses were:

  • 5075 Wayzata Blvd.:  This was the 5075 Building, and in 1965-1967 it hosted the Marquette Corp., which made welding equipment.  One interesting piece of trivia is that John C. Meyer II asked the Village Council for a permit to build tourist cabins here, but was turned down.
  • 1400 Highway 100 So.:  From the Summer of 1946 to February 1947 this was the site of the Church of the Good Shepherd.  Before the church found a permanent home in Golden Valley, it operated out of two Quonset huts here.
  • 1500 Highway 100 So.:  Frank Motzko remembers there being three buildings here, perhaps before Highway 100 was widened.

AREA NAMES

  1. The area now known as the West End was once known as the 100-12 Plaza.
  2. An article in the 1958 Dispatch refers to “Office City,” 23 acres at 16th Street and Highway 100.
  3. An article in the Dispatch announced that on April 4, 1967, with the groundbreaking for the Gamble Building, the name of the area was changed to the Gamble Center.
  4. With the redevelopment of the area, developers renamed the area once again, to The West End.  Although this is actually the East End of St. Louis Park, it is west of Minneapolis, a big selling point.

BUILDINGS OF THE WEST END

Describing the West End is difficult, because it is not linear like most areas, but more of a compound.  The following list is ordered by street name, but it takes a map to determine where these buildings actually are or were.

 

This is a list of buildings that were located west of Highway 100 on the south side of Wayzata Blvd. before the West End redevelopment project.  Those designated with a “G” (for Gone)have been removed (or at least don’t show up in the county’s property tax database).

5310 W. 16th Street:  Apartment – 2013

5320 W. 16th Street –  2008

5120 Cedar Lake Road –  1976

5200 Cedar Lake Road:  In 1960 this was a house.  Became 5305 Parkdale Drive

5310 Cedar Lake Road –  1960.  Maytag.  Became 5305 Parkdale

5330 Cedar Lake Road –  Original building 1964; replaced 2008

5100 Gamble Drive (former Gambles HQ, now Parkdale Center) – built 1968

5353 Gamble Drive:  Parkdales Building 4 – 1978

5401 Gamble Drive:  Parkdales Building 1 – 1976

1400 Highway 100:  Golden Valley – see above

1500 Highway 100:  Golden Valley – see above

1600 Highway 100:  1600 Tower –  1982

1660 Highway 100:  Parkdale Plaza – 1980

1700 Highway 100:  Podany Furniture – 1959

1551 Park Place Blvd.:  See 1600 West End Blvd.
1621 Park Place:

  • Minnesota Sand and Gravel – Structure removed 1960
  • 1965:  North Star/Normandale Tennis Club
  • 1976:  Northwest Racquet, Swim and Health Clubs (built 1969)  G
  • Now southern part of 1600 West End Blvd.

5305 Parkdale Drive – built 1960, Volp Construction Co.

  • 1960:  Maytag Co.
  • 1961:  Admiral
  • 1975:  Wilson Sporting Goods
  • 1982:  American Rug Laundry

5354 Parkdale Drive:  Parkdales Building 3  – built 1978

5402 Parkdale Drive:  Parkdales Building 2 – built 1977

1325 Utica Ave.:  Central Park West Apartments, Under construction 2016

1433 Utica Ave.:  South Plaza Building – built 1967 – G

1511 Utica Ave.:  Part of Central Park West

1550 Utica Ave.:  Moneygram Tower – built 1987

1601 Utica Ave.:  vacant land as of 2016

5051 Wayzata Blvd.:  Address of Julius W. Held’s truck farm

5075 Wayzata Blvd.:  Golden Valley – See above

5201 Wayzata Blvd.:  Lincoln Del West – built 1966  G

5217 Wayzata Blvd.:  North Plaza Building – built 1967  G

5219 Wayzata:  Park National Bank/West Minneapolis Business Center – 1966  G

5225 Wayzata:  Ambassador Hotel – 1961-1991

5235 Wayzata Blvd.:  Chili’s Restaurant – 1992   G

5245 Wayzata Blvd.:  Olive Garden Restaurant – 1992

5305 Wayzata Blvd.:  Homewood Suites – 2009

5353 Wayzata Blvd.:  Park National Bank – 1980.  Now Associated Bank

5445 Wayzata Blvd.: See Below

1600 West End Blvd.:

  • As 5445 Wayzata Blvd., original address of Evanoff Gardens
  • Regional warehouse for Gambles, built in 1959
  • Renumbered as 1551 Park Place Blvd.
  • Became approximately half of the Shops at West End; 5320  W. 16th St.- 2008

 

STREET NAMES

A ribbon cutting was held on September 15, 2009 at West End Blvd., a new, private street owned and maintained by the development.

 

Duke Drive is an old street that has always serviced the ramp for the two office towers, but didn’t get named until the West End project.  Duke Drive is also a private street.  Duke is the name of the original redevelopment company.

 

One note says that a road through the Gambles property was opened on August 18, 1961.  This may be the extension of 16th Street.

 

Vernon. Ave was changed to Park Place Blvd. on February 4, 1993, in honor of the Sheridan Park Place Hotel, the original name of the Doubletree.