Southdale Library facts and redevelopment history

Plans for a new Southdale Library are underway. Learn more about the project by reviewing the library facts and redevelopment history below.

Southdale continues to be one of the busiest libraries in the Hennepin County system:

4th most visited library in the Hennepin County system, welcoming approximately 185,000 visitors in 2022
6th highest volume of physical checkouts, more than 250,000 first-time checkouts in 2022
7th highest volume of Wi-Fi connections, more than 225,000 sessions in 2022
2nd highest in information counts, second only to Minneapolis Central Library

2015: County board briefing to discuss relocation of the service center, courts, and reconstruction of the Southdale Library

2016: Service center relocates to Southdale Mall

2016-2018: Series of public meetings to look at library functionality and adjacent site uses

2018: County board briefing on Southdale site re-development, including selling a portion of the current site

2019: County moves Court operations out of Southdale Regional Center

2019: County explores relocating library to the Southdale Mall

2020: Uncertainty caused by the pandemic pauses relocation activities to Southdale Mall

2022: Decision made to rebuild on the current site

2023: Planning & design of the new Southdale Library begins

Project updates