Entrepreneur hopes to acquire most of Maplewood Mall for Pan Asian Center development

MAPLEWOOD, Minn. (FOX 9) - Twin Cities entrepreneur Toua Xiong, who owns the HmongTown Marketplace in St. Paul, wants to redevelop the Maplewood Mall into the Pan Asian Center, a space he envisions full of shopping, dining, and entertainment. 

He said his mission is to transform the once-booming east metro mall into a vibrant hub dedicated to celebrating and uplifting diverse cultures. Xiong and his team have already taken steps to make this a reality.

Xiong acquires 2 major spaces at the Maplewood Mall

In the works:

Just recently, Xiong acquired the former Macy’s space after the department store closed down.

"It was announced back in February that Macy’s was going to be effectively closing by the end of March. We rushed to acquire it, and now we own it," said Xiong.

READ MORE: Developer outlines plans for new HmongTown 2 at Maplewood Mall

That adds to what Xiong’s already been doing for the last two years at the Maplewood Mall. In 2023, he acquired the old Sear’s space that sat vacant for almost a decade. He and his team have been renovating that area since.

"Combining these two, we have over 29 acres, over 400-something square feet. Once we own the Maplewood Mall, it’s going to be over 59 acres, over 720-something square feet," he said.

Hoping to make a major move this summer

The goal and vision:

Xiong said acquiring two anchor store spaces in the mall are great steps. But, he isn’t done yet.

He said he and his team are working to acquire the rest of the mall this summer, with the exception of Kohl’s and JC Penney.

"Our plan is to really bring a lot of foot traffic back into the Maplewood Mall because it is so sad that foot traffic has decreased into shopping centers over the years, and we would like to rescue the Maplewood Mall. We don’t want to have any tenants move out. We want to honor all the tenants. Not only honor them but bring in foot traffic so they make money, and they will stay on the longer term," Xiong explained.

He said the goal is for the Pan Asian Center to be an inclusive and welcoming place for businesses and customers. Major features he has planned for the Macy’s space include a food hall, professional offices for lease, a variety of vendors, and a 3,000 to 4,000-person event center that people and businesses can rent. The Sears space will include similar services.

Xiong said several vendors have already signed leases for the Macy’s space. He knows this project is a big one, but when asked if he was nervous, Xiong smiled and said, "I’m not nervous at all. Not a single bit, but I am excited."

Once the mall is redeveloped, Xiong said he wants to expand onto the rest of the property with other projects like hotels, apartments, restaurants, and much more.

Check it out:

If you want to check out the space and learn more, the Pan Asian Center is holding a ribbon cutting and soft opening on Saturday, May 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Xiong’s goal is to have a big grand opening by 2027.