Daytons Department Store (1902)

Dayton’s Department Store, 1902
700 Nicollet Mall
Architect: Charles S. Sedgwick
Additions by Long and Thorshov, 1916-1929, and Larson and McLaren, 1937 & 1947

Renovated, repurposed, and renamed the Dayton’s Project in 2019

In 1902, real estate developer George Draper Dayton built the 6-story portion of this department store on the corner of 7th and Nicollet. Built in Renaissance Revival style, the store’s decorative details are borrowed from ancient Greece and Rome, and its overall form is reminiscent of 15th-century Italian palazzos.

Dayton originally leased the store to a company called Goodfellow’s, but by 1903 he was the sole owner and renamed it Dayton’s Drygoods Company. The 12-story addition at 8th and Nicollet was built from 1916 to 1929 and there were renovations in 1937 and 1947. Over the years, the company expanded and merged with other companies, notably Marshall Fields. At one time, the company owned 73 department stores throughout the United States.

In 1962, the company opened its first Target store and in 2000, in recognition of the strength of that business line, changed its name to Target Corporation. The Nicollet store location became part of the Macy’s chain in 2004, and closed in 2017.

No matter what name has been on the door, the Dayton’s company has been more than a powerful and innovative retailer. It also has come to be much beloved by Minnesotans, in large measure because of the Dayton family’s dedication to philanthropy, which has benefited many arts and cultural institutions. The Dayton family pioneered corporate giving, inaugurating the practice of donating 5% of their profits back to the community.

In recognition of this historic landmark and its special meaning to so many people, property owner 601W Companies has re-christened the redeveloped building as the Dayton’s Project. The Dayton’s Market on the lower level will contain more than 50 food, retail, and service vendors. Sections of the first two floors have been removed to make room for a grand staircase. The upper floors now contain office space, featuring tenant amenities include a “Winter Lounge,” a fitness center, and a rooftop terrace. On the exterior, the previously tinted windows on the first and second floors have been replaced with clear glass. And for Minnesotans of a certain age, welcome holiday displays have reappeared in the corner windows at 8th and Nicollet for the first time in many years.