6312-16-20 MINNETONKA BLVD.

The commercial building at the northeast corner of Minnetonka Blvd. and Dakota was called the (Minne) Tonka Boulevard Shopping Center.  An article in the Dispatch on October 28, 1949 announced that it was being built by Meyer A. Fingerman.  The architect was Armstrong & Schlichting, and it was constructed by Bruce Construction.  It would have a drug store, hardware store, super market with meat and bakery, and three professional offices.  
 

From June 29, 1950 to March 19, 1951, Penny's Super Market occupied the east end of the building. 

E.L. Brink Hardware opened on August 17-19, 1950.  It quickly became Brink's Variety Store.
 

Atkinson Drug Store had its Grand Opening from June 29 to July 1, 1950. It was located at the western end of the building.  Customers were invited to come and meet Lady Kemp, who would be handing out free Lady Kemp ice cream.  The ad featured something called Mead's Oleum Percomorphum. 
 

Al Hartman fills us in on the professional offices:

In the West Northwest corner of the building there was a separate entrance for the Doctor and Dentist offices. One would go down a corridor to a shared waiting room. Dr. George Friedel MD was on the right and Dr. Robert Nelson DDS was on the left. It was a bit cramped and each had a receptionist/assistant. As I recall, Dr. Nelson did all work including cleaning and I only remember one chair which must have limited his practice making him want to move all the more. [He moved his office to 3645 Rhode Island Ave. in the late '60s.]

Dr. Friedel was a family practice doctor and I remember him making a house call to visit me while I was sick with the flu in the late '50s. The last I remember being treated by him was in the mid '70s and I think he was dead with his doctor brother closing his practice by 1980.

After Nelson moved Dr. Norman Taiko Kushino DDS rented his office space. Nelson took his patients with him as he did not move too far away and Kushino started fresh. During the Kushino period I remember Sue Sutherland, local young woman, just graduating from dental hygenist school in the later '60s, working for him. Kushino had been in a Japanese Relocation Camp with his family during WWII.  In the '70s sometime, I believe, he moved his practice to Golden Valley. After Kushino and Friedel were gone I don't think anyone rented their spaces anymore and building was eventually remodeled.

On March 19, 1951, a fire caused $250,000 damage to the building. It started when a 16-year-old Brink’s employee burned waste paper in an incinerator. Firefighters from Golden Valley, Hopkins, and Richfield responded to the call – the largest fire call met by the SW Fire League – a group of suburban firefighters.


This photo of the 1951 fire courtesy Al Hartman

After the fire, Adolph Fine built Levine a new Penny's Super Market in what was to become the Texa-Tonka Shopping Center. 

Klein's Supermarket moved in and opened on February 21, 1952.  This was the 17th in the chain, which was established in 1921 by Jacob Klein of St. Paul and was owned by his four sons, Harry Klein in this case.  The Dispatch indicated that the store had formerly been the Crystal Market - was that an interim store?  Manager Frank J. DeMay was kept on from the previous store. 

Klein's took over not only the space that Penny's had occupied, but also expanded west into the middle store, which had been occupied by Brink's Variety Store. 
 

Before Minnetonka Blvd. was paved in 1952

Undated photo by the City Tax Assessor

From at least 1954-60, the drug store was Desnick's Boulevard Pharmacy.  (In 1962, Stillman had a liquor license.)  Al Hartman:  "Desnick's Drug Store, at the front West end of the building, seemed to have a bit of everything. They had a tube tester for old radio and TV tube diagnosis and replacement. A magazine rack in the front of the store with a comic book stand to its left as you faced it. I read many a comic I should have bought because they are worth enough today. I hardly ever was told to move on as they were not a library. In the Northwest corner there was a grill and soda fountain with seating at the fountain counter on bolted down pedestal stools. They served food such as burgers, fries, etc. They had a roasted-nut hutch that kept the nuts warm to be scooped out into a bag for sale and lots of candy. Desnick was the Pharmacist and also was associated with an old folks home around Joppa Ave S and Mtka. Blvd for a while."

In 1960, the grocery store was a Piggly Wiggly, pictured below. 
 

Tax Assessor Photo

In 1963, the grocery store was Don's Minimax, owned by Donald A. Swanson and his wife Tillie.  The hats on the faces on the sign in the picture below say "Don" and "Tillie."  Gil was the manager and Thelma "ruled the roost."  In February 1965 the name changed to Don's Park Market. At some point it may have been called Tony's Park Market.  In 1970 there was a Pilgrim Cleaners at the drug store site.


1975 Photo courtesy Emory Anderson

On September 12 and 13, 1975, Metro Auto Stores held their grand opening at 6320 (the west end).  By 1983, the west end would be Bigelow Video.


 

Tax Assessor photo, 1981

In November 1993 another fire burned out Ty's New Park Market and Bigelow Video.
 

1994 photo courtesy Emory Anderson

After the fire the building was removed and a new structure called the Minnetonka Park Mall was built in 1996.



2007

Big City Bagels occupied 6312 in 1998.  There were stores in Downtown Minneapolis and at Snelling and Grand in St. Paul.









 

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This information comes from a variety of sources: newspapers, books, yearbooks, phone directories, interviews, etc. Given the varied sources, we cannot guarantee that all of this information is correct, and welcome any additions and corrections. Please contact us with your contributions and comments.