Owners of Minneapolis' Calhoun Square say they're dropping the name

The owners of the Calhoun Square shopping center in Minneapolis announced Friday that they're changing the name of the building, effective immediately.

In an online statement, Northpond Partners said it had been considering a new name for the shopping center in the Uptown neighborhood since they bought it last fall. They're taking action now "as a reflection of our support and solidarity with the city of Minneapolis and the Black Lives Matter movement."

The mall at the corner of Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street took its name from the nearby lake once known as Lake Calhoun — named after John C. Calhoun, a former vice president who was a proponent of slavery and Native American removal.

After a long legal battle the lake has gone back to its Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska — but the shopping center had retained the Calhoun name until this week.

"The tragic death of George Floyd and ensuing events throughout the country have made it crystal clear that to move forward as a community we must remove painful reminders of the worst chapters in our nation's history," Northpond Partners wrote. "A property named for a known racist and champion of slavery has no place in Minneapolis or anywhere in our society."

The owners of the now-former Calhoun Square said a new name and plans to redevelop the building will be unveiled at a later date. They plan to consult with tenants, shoppers and neighbors in the search for a new name.

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