This is a road that has had many names: Superior Blvd., Wayzata Blvd., Highway 12, and Highway 394. The name Wayzata endures on the service road to the freeway, and businesses dot that ribbon of road on both sides of Interstate 394.
At one time there was a part of St. Louis Park that was on the north side of the highway, but the freeway took care of that, and now the only section of St. Louis Park north of the highway is the Shelard area, at the westernmost part of the City.
Golden Valley, however, does have some significant patches of land on the south side of the highway. To avoid total confusion, the buildings have been listed on two different pages; this for those north of the freeway, and another for those south of the freeway.
The years indicated are based on available sources and the buildings and businesses may have existed before or after the years indicated. Please contact us with any information or corrections.
Also see:
Superior Blvd., Wayzata Blvd., Highway 12, I-394 for information about the road itself
Wayzata Blvd. Buildings South of I-394
Underlined items are links to more information.
4900 Wayzata Blvd., Golden Valley (NE corner of now Hwy 394 and 100): Ye Tavern Inn (1921), Pershing Inn (to 1926). Burned down, bankrupt, 1926.
Highway 100
5000 Wayzata Blvd.: Rees, Thomson Scroggins Real Estate – 1962; Kaye Construction – 1967
5250 Wayzata Blvd.: Tyrol Medical Dental Building – 1967 (Golden Valley)
GOLDEN HILLS SHOPPING CENTER
The Held family and a developer from California built the Golden Hills Shopping Center in 1950 on what had been Julius Held’s melon field. Golden Hills was a victim to construction of 394 in about 1988. The western end, including Good Day Café and the Metropolitan, still stands. The huge, now crumbling parking lot may also still be there as it was in 2007.
Here are some addresses and stores:
5320:
- Northern States Radio Service – 1962 – 1967
- Schlotzky’s
5324:
- Boulevard Cleaners – 1956
- Char-Mar Cleaners and Tailors – 1968
5328:
- George’s Steak House – 1956
- Har-Mar Cleaners
5332: Mr. Joseph Hair Fashions – 1967 – 1968
5340:
- Duling Optical
- Palace Restaurant
- Skelgas Division, Skelly Oil – 1953
- John’s No. 1 Son – 1968
5400:
- Restaurant MN Network Liq.
- Doug’s Outlet
- Golden Hills Drug and Liquor Store, Samuel A. Lavine, Prop. – 1951 – 1952
5404: Golden Hills Gambles – 1952
5408:
- Baby and Toyland, 1951
- Golden Hills Hardware – 1956
- B&F Meats, 1967 – 1971
- My Pi, from at least 1978 to 1982.
5410: Current address of entire western tract, owned by David Webb. This section was built in 1985 and still stands.
- Good Day Café
- Rupert’s Cafe and Nightclub – 1984 – 1989
- Metropolitan
5412:
- Milk House – 1952 – 1954
- Ginger’s Barbeque – 1961
- Pittsburgh Paints – 1967 – 1968
5418:
- National Tea, 1951
- Jolly Troll Smorgasbord – 1967 – 1968
5426: Golden Hills Drug and Liquor – Tom Stember, Charlie Green – 56-67
5426:
- Larry’s “”66” Service, Larry Ramacher, Prop. – 1951 – 1968
- Rapid Oil Change – 1986
- Vacant land – Mn/DOT – 2007
Other stores without addresses:
Jensen’s Super Valu – 1956
Post Office – 1967
Arcade TV and Appliance – 1951
Cross street Turners Crossroads
1200 Turners Crossroads: Jerry Cramer’s Very Complete Super Market, 1951 – 1956
5500 Wayzata Blvd.:
- This was Bill’s Place from at least 1939. Bill was William J. Schindler, who went on to own the Boulevard. A relative describes him as a real estate investor who moved around a lot. 1939: Dancing and An Enjoyable Time. Nice menu: Bar-B-Q-Ribs, Chow Mein, Home Made Chili, Hot Tamales, and Glueks on Draft!
- The Boulevard Cafe replaced Bill’s, from at least 1945 to at least 1968. Plat maps show the site being owned by Glueck Brewing in 1950, perhaps through the ’60s.
- The site is now the 16-floor Colonnade office building, built in 1987.
5520 Wayzata: Grant Radio and TV – 1956
Cross Street Xenia
5600/5601: McCarthy’s – 1942 to 1992 G
5612 Wayzata Blvd.:
- Sarenpa’s Place Tavern, Fred Sarenpa, Prop. “For That Good Glass of Beer.” – 1956 – 1967
- Print Works
5650 Wayzata Blvd.: Animal Hospital
5701 Golden Hills Drive: In 2000 the Allianz complex was built, covering the entire block between Xenia and the railroad tracks. The frontage of the property had been McCarthy’s.
5720 Wayzata Blvd.: South Side Lumber Co. – 1967
5728 Wayzata Blvd.:
- KUXL Radio – 1967
- Tersch Paper Co.
5740 Wayzata Blvd.:
- Mn/DOT District Office
- A.M. Jorgenson Machine Shop
- Contemporary Design
5760 Wayzata Blvd.
- Lu Mac Real Estate and Insurance
- Car Rental
- Simca Dealer
- Dodge Truck Center
- TBA Marketing
Dan Patch Railroad Tracks
6051 Golden Hills Drive: Holiday Inn Express, built in 1995
6105 Golden Hills Drive: Built in 1999
5800 Wayzata Blvd.
The indoor Ice Center opened at 5800 Wayzata Blvd. in 1958. Although it was in Golden Valley, it was the site of Park hockey games before the Rec Center was built.
5830 Wayzata Blvd.: John A. Skermo Landscaping – 1967
5900 Wayzata Blvd.: De Vac Window Sales – 1964 – 1967
5910 Wayzata Blvd.
- John K. Cheese, Junior Accountant – 1967
- Rusten Film Associates – Film Production
- Wal-Vac Inc.
5912 Wayzata Blvd.: Horton Sales, 1967
5920 Wayzata Blvd.: This is a strip of land between Colorado and Xenia, west of the Railroad tracks; fronts 6022 Wayzata Blvd.
- Omni Design Corp. – 1967
- Electro Mechanics Productions
6000 Wayzata Blvd.: Suburban Lumber Dealers, 1956 – 1968
6008 Wayzata Blvd.: Bury and Carlson Ready Mix/Blacktopping – 1967 – 1968
6010 Wayzata Blvd.: Small strip of land on Wayzata Blvd. in front of 6105 Golden Hills Drive.
- Midland Welding – 1967
6012 Wayzata Blvd.: Offices
- Coin Controlled Washers, Inc., 1967
6014 Wayzata Blvd.
6020-I Wayzata Blvd.: Address changed to 6030.
Thermotech Industries/Cosom (a subsidiary of Thermotech). Manufactured plastic sports and play products. 1959 – 1960. Products included Fun Ball, Little Fun Ball, Scoop Ball, Saf-T-Bat, Pee Gee Bee, Bowlite, Safe-T-Mallet. Endorsed by SLP gym teacher and coach Lloyd Holm in an ad in 1959.
6020-II Wayzata Blvd.: Building built in 1995. Christianson & Torgerson, LLP
6040 Wayzata Blvd.: The Sorgenfree Tavern was run by Martin and Ethel Christensen in 1938. It was a 3.2 beer tavern where the neighbors collected from time to time.
6100 Wayzata Blvd.: Hussman’s – 1967
6118 Wayzata Blvd.
- Hammer X-Ray; B.F. Hammer, Prop. Distributor of X-Ray apparatus, film accessories and supplies
- B.F. Hammond Development Co. – 1965
6140 Wayzata Blvd.: Crow Foot
6150 Wayzata Blvd:
- Decca Record Distributing – 1967
- TDC Inc.
6160 Wayzata Blvd.: Benson Pump Co.
Cross Street Colorado Ave. So.
6200 Wayzata Blvd.: Plywood Minnesota – 1967
6210 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1962.
- Business Furniture, Inc. – 1964 – 1967
THE PYLON
6224 Wayzata Blvd: In 1949 brothers John and Albert Yngve and their friend Bill Nordstrom built the Pylon Drive-in. Although it was in Golden Valley, the owners, staff, and most of the clientele were from St. Louis Park, and it was heavily advertised in the St. Louis Park Echo.
6250 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1966 by Albert Yngve
- Yngve, Yngve, & Reirsgord Law Firm, 1967 – 68
- Travel Specialists
6300 Wayzata Blvd.: Super 8 Motel, built in 1980.
Cross Street Edgewood Ave. So.
6400 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1981
- Ground Round Restaurant
- J.J.’s Clubhouse
6440 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1980
- El Torito – built in 1980
- La Caslta
- Billfish Bar & Grill – closed in 2003
- Majors Sports Café – closed in 2010
- Ciento Tequila Bar & Mexican Kitchen
- Osaka Sushi & Hibachi – online reviews 2011-14
- Sushi X Hibachi & Grill
- Six Korean BBQ & KTV
- Thai Paradise Korean BBQ & KTV (current)
6480 Wayzata Blvd.: Office Building built in 1958
- Rebound Exercise Center
Cross Street Florida Ave. So.
6620 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1998; Taco Bell
6660 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1973; Burger King
905 Hampshire Ave. So.: Built in 1999
- Cork ‘n Cleaver – 1981
Cross Street Hampshire Ave. So.
6800 Wayzata Blvd. was first built in 1969.
- Chrysler City. 1969: Chrysler City was the largest car dealership in the U.S.
- Menard’s. In 2010 the original Menard’s was demolished (and the concrete recycled). The new store opened in 2011.
6850 Wayzata Blvd.: C.O.M.B. – 1986. Stood for Close-Out Merchandise Buyers, and its inventory consisted of buyouts, insurance losses, etc. Possibly owned by Irwin Jacobs and Ted Deikel.
6920 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1962
- Uncle John’s Pancake House, 1962 – 1968
- Perkins Pancake House
6944 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1995; Car X
825 Louisiana Ave. So.: Mr. Steak
901 Louisiana Ave. So.: Originally 6980 Wayzata Blvd. Rebuilt in 1995
- Don’s Texaco, 1967
- Wayzata Skelly
- Mermaid Car Wash
Cross Street Louisiana Ave. So.
7000 Wayzata Blvd.: Rent-a-Car G
7100 Wayzata Blvd.: Jim Lupient Olds came to this site in 1970 or earlier.
7300-7400 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1965
- Anderson Cadillac moved here from Excelsior Blvd. in 1965 and it operated until 1975.
- Morrie’s Cadillac
Cross Street Pennsylvania Ave. So.
7500 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1950.
- Suburban Sinclair Station, 1968
7520 Wayzata Blvd.:
- Weavewood Wood Products, 1967
7528 Wayzata Blvd.: Owned by Roy A. Soucy in 1954.
7530 Wayzata Blvd.:
- Jenson Concrete Products, Inc. Cesspool Blocks, Building Blocks – 1952
7550 Wayzata Blvd.
- Suburban Tire/Goodyear – 1962 – 1974. Chuck Meyer, President in 1974. 1962 ad: “Largest New Tire and Tire Recap Center in the Suburbs.”
7600 Wayzata Blvd.:
- Heilicher Record Distributing – 1967
- Advance Music Coin Machine
- Pickwick International
7650: Red Crown Lanes was built in about 1958 or earlier. In 1967 it was called Celebrity Lanes.
Cross Street Rhode Island
(1060 Rhode Island): Residence, built in 1996
(1051 Sumter): Residence, built in 1999
Cross Street Sumter
(1030 Sumter): Residence, built in 1956
(1023 Winnetka): Residence, built in 1948
Cross Street Winnetka Ave. So.
900 Winnetka: Residence, built in 1953
901 Utah: Residence, built in 1952
Cross Street Utah Ave. So.
832 Utah: Residence, built in 1950
855 Hanley Road: Residence, built in 1956
Cross Street Hanley Road
8100 Wayzata Blvd.: Built in 1956
- Hope Chest, Inc. – 1960 – 1961
- Streaten Store Fixtures – 1967
- Shedd Brown Calendars
Cross Street Brookview Parkway
BROOKVIEW GOLF CLUB
200 Brookview Parkway/8200 Wayzata Blvd.: The Superior Golf Club was built in the 1920s by Archie Walker and his father, lumber magnate T.B. Walker. They operated it as a private country club until 1947. Under new ownership the course was named Brookview Golf Club and remained a private 18-hole regulation course, complete with a swimming pool, a clubhouse with a full dining room, a bar room, a pro shop, and locker rooms. In June 1967, Golden Valley voters overwhelmingly passed a $1,600,000 bond issue for the purchase and development of the area. The City of Golden Valley began official operations at Brookview Golf Course in 1969.
Cross Street General Mills Blvd.
1 General Mills Blvd./ 9200 Wayzata Blvd.: 1958: General Mills opened its world headquarters here in 1958.
Cross Street Highway 169 – Shelard
Photos and the history of the Shelard Park area, which is part of St. Louis Park, can be found HERE.