400 Bar to be evicted from Mall of America

An ambitious effort by a legendary Minneapolis rock club to move to the Mall of America appears to have failed.

An eviction notice dated Tuesday was posted at the 400 Bar's Mall of America space. The notice stated that an eviction hearing has been set for Sept. 30 at the Hennepin County Courthouse.

The 400 Bar was a home to Minneapolis bands like the Jayhawks and blues legend Willie Murphy. The bar's history stretched back to the days that Bonnie Raitt gigged in local bars. But it closed in 2012 after years of declining attendance.

The new effort at the mall included a bar and restaurant that never materialized, as well as what the owners called the Midwest Music Museum. Although the museum was scheduled to host a travelling exhibit of Beatles memorabilia until Sept. 7, both the bar and museum had been subject to many delays since its announcement.

Mall of America spokesperson Dan Jasper said in an email statement that the 400 Bar appeared to encounter difficulties finding appropriate financing for the new business.

"The 400 Bar has a unique place in Minnesota music history. Like so many others, we were excited when it was first announced that 400 Bar would be coming to Mall of America," Jasper said. "While disappointed that 400 will not open at the Mall, we wish them the very best."

Efforts to reach the owners were not successful. Thomas Sullivan is listed as the manager of the operation at the Minnesota Secretary of State's website. Telephone numbers to the museum and club were not functioning on Wednesday. The bar and museum's social media pages have not been updated since early this month.