By the Closer Look Inspectors team · Facts checked October 2026 against the sources listed below · About our inspectors
A commercial property inspection tells a Brooklyn Center buyer, owner or lender what shape a building is really in. Around Shingle Creek Crossing that matters: the Brookdale Mall, built in 1962, was replaced by a newer shopping center, and the former Sears there had sat vacant since 2018 as of July 2024.
Get Your Free Instant QuoteCall or text (612) 457-1634
Commercial buildings in and around Brooklyn Center
From Brookdale Mall to Shingle Creek Crossing
Built in 1962, the Brookdale Mall was one of the four original "Dale" malls in the Twin Cities region, according to CCX Media. It fell from popularity in the Great Recession and was later redeveloped as Shingle Creek Crossing. Walmart previously served as that shopping center's anchor store.
Large retail buildings of any era tend to combine broad flat roofs, rooftop heating and cooling units and electrical service sized for the last tenant. When a center changes hands or a store changes use, it is fair to ask which of those pieces were replaced and which are original.
The former Sears at 1297 Shingle Creek Crossing
CCX Media calls the former Sears the last vestige of what was once the popular Brookdale Mall. The department store and auto center shuttered its doors in 2018 and, as of CCX Media's July 2024 report, had remained vacant since. Its approximately 15-acre site sits adjacent to Highway 100 and the Shingle Creek Shopping Center.
In 2022 the city council rezoned the site to allow a 230,000-square-foot speculative light industrial development, but that development had not moved forward. According to the July 2024 report, the council then voted unanimously to approve a rezoning to a transit-oriented development district, a designation that allows more housing uses, such as a townhome or apartment.
Redevelopment plans for the site have been in the works for years, CCX Media notes. Heat, water and routine upkeep all slip when a large building sits empty for years, which is why a long-vacant building deserves a hard look before anyone buys it or lends against it.
Big boxes change hands, and the city buys a center
After Walmart shuttered its doors in Brooklyn Center in April 2023, the building at 1200 Shingle Creek Crossing was sold to new owners. According to the city, the sale was finalized on Dec. 29, and a representative of a supermarket company told CCX Media the company purchased the building.
A change of owner can bring a change of use, and a different use can load a building's electrical service, roof and rooftop units differently. Infrared images of panels and rooftop equipment are one general way to see how existing systems are coping.
Near Shingle Creek Crossing, Twin Cities Business reported in January 2014 that the city had purchased the Brookdale Square retail center and planned to redevelop it. The seller's broker described the property as 23 acres with 185,000 square feet of "retail improvements." Retail property in this part of Brooklyn Center has seen changes of ownership and plans, which is a reason to look past the last tenant to the building itself.
Commercial buildings we inspect
Quick answers
What should a buyer ask about a long-vacant commercial building in Brooklyn Center?
Start with how long it has been empty. The former Sears building shut in 2018 and, according to CCX Media in July 2024, had stayed vacant since. When a large building sits unused, roofs, drains and heating and cooling equipment get less attention. A commercial property inspection exists to give a buyer or lender an independent read on that condition before money changes hands.
Why is thermal imaging used on big-box and strip-center buildings?
Thermal imaging shows surface temperature differences the eye cannot see. On a large flat roof, wet insulation holds heat differently from dry insulation. On electrical equipment, a loose connection runs warmer than its neighbors. Big retail buildings have a lot of both, and a change of tenant can raise the load on both.
What changes when a big-box store changes owners?
A different owner can mean a different use, and a different use can load a building's electrical service, roof and rooftop units differently. CCX Media reported that the former Walmart at 1200 Shingle Creek Crossing was sold at the end of 2023. A commercial property inspection documents the building as it stands, so a buyer or lender can weigh it against the plans for the new use.
Sources
- CCX Media: Brooklyn Center Council Rezones Sears To Allow for More Housing
- CCX Media: Brooklyn Center Walmart Sold to Ethnic Supermarket
- Twin Cities Business: Brooklyn Center To Redevelop Shopping Center
Nearby towns
Commercial property inspection in Minnesota and Iowa · Home inspection in Brooklyn Center
Buying, leasing or financing a commercial building in Brooklyn Center? Build a free instant quote, or call or text (612) 457-1634.
Get Your Free Instant Quote