The Magnetic Appeal of Nolan Mains

There’s a new player in town creating buzz one lease at a time.

by

When a car crashed through the windows of Scout’s St. Paul storefront, Peter Deanovic swooped in with the offer of temporary space at a new 50th & France development called Nolan Mains. The owners passed at the time but remembered the kind gesture, and when Scout was ready to open a second location this year, they chose Nolan Mains. Likewise, when Dugo announced its going-out-of-business sale at Galleria, Deanovic resuscitated the beloved dress boutique. He even rolled up his sleeves on a Saturday to help owner Nancy Shank set up clothing racks.

The outdoor shopping district on the backside of 50th Street has announced more new store openings in recent months than most regional malls. Deanovic, principal of Buhl Investors, which sources the retail tenants for the property, is emerging as a champion of local retail—willing to offer flexible leases and rent deals that small businesses say they can’t find elsewhere in town, particularly in a high-traffic shopping area like downtown Edina. 

“A good landlord makes all the difference,” says Jessica Gerard, who moved her lingerie boutique, Flirt, to Nolan Mains after 13 years in St. Paul. “Pete Deanovic has been amazing to work with. He likes to see the relationship as more of a partnership than landlord-tenant.” 

Debuting shortly before a global pandemic could have spelled disaster for Nolan Mains. Indeed, SoulCycle, the first high-profile tenant to sign on way back in 2019, has yet to open. Deanovic says his original vision for Nolan Mains, which features about 30,000 square feet of storefront space below luxury apartments and straddles both sides of Market Street, was an even mix of local boutiques and bigger-name nationals likely to draw a crowd. So far, though, with the exception of Basecamp Fitness (which is owned by Woodbury-based Self Esteem Brands) and Bar Method, leases have skewed local, from the Lynhall No. 3945 to Six for Good, a collective of women-owned brands. The latest arrivals include the first stand-alone location for St. Paul–based ice cream company Sweet Science and a six-month pop-up for interior designer Bria Hammel’s Brooke and Lou home décor brand. 

“We’ve always toyed with the idea of opening a pop-up shop, but we knew that it had to be the right space,” Hammel says. “Nolan Mains approached us with this opportunity, and the timing, location, and aesthetic just felt right. We didn’t need to consider another location.”

The outdoor setting and small storefronts work in Nolan Mains’ favor as shoppers ease back into in-person experiences. Nationwide, outdoor shopping districts have rebounded from COVID-19 more quickly than malls. And while many national chains downsized or put the brakes on expansion plans in 2020, indie shops have been quicker to jump back into brick and mortar.

Of course, a primo retail development can’t survive on short-term, cut-rate lease deals long term. “We won’t say no forever to nationals,” Deanovic acknowledges. But the first couple to open this spring and summer, designer fashion brand Billy Reid and organic juice bar Clean Juice—both new to the Twin Cities—suggest that Nolan Mains intends to compete with other A-list locations, like Galleria and Mall of America. 

“We care deeply about establishing something that doesn’t exist in the Twin Cities,” Deanovic says. “It’s got to offer a sense of discovery, an experience that makes you want to linger.”

And that means considering every detail, from underground parking to an outdoor plaza that Nolan Mains plans to activate this summer with dance classes, live music, and story time for kids. Says Deanovic, “We’re really trying to meet the community in a spot where they’re emerging from a COVID haze.”