As Edina-based national women’s specialty retailer Evereve triples the size of its presence at Ridgedale Center in Minnetonka, a closing sale is underway just a few exits east on I-394 at its Shops at West End location in St. Louis Park.

Evereve was an early tenant at Shops at West and one of the few retail success stories at the uneven lifestyle center, which has faced challenge after challenge since opening in 2007. While other stores, both local and national, came and went, Evereve doubled down on Shops at West End, expanding its space. In a 2019 article about the Shops at West End, Evereve co-CEO Mike Tamte said he was ready to renew his store lease for another 10 years.

But Evereve couldn’t come to terms with West End’s prior owner American Realty Capital, which sold the center to Eden Prairie-based Hempel Real Estate in December.

“After years of failed negotiations with the prior landlord to renew Evereve’s lease, Megan and I made the difficult decision to close our West End store on June 30,” said Tamte, who co-founded and runs the company with his wife Megan. In anticipation of the closure, Evereve decided to triple its Ridgedale footprint, opening a new store on the second level this week. The expansion follows Evereve’s Edina flagship at 50th & France doubling in size, a formula the retailer is repeating nationwide to make way for new categories like footwear and outerwear.

Although the decision to exit West End was made before Hempel assumed management responsibilities, the developer’s executive vice president Ben Krsnak expressed disappointment at losing one of the few remaining apparel retailers.

“While we hoped they would have given new ownership more than the six months we’ve had together, we send them off with our best wishes.” he said. Krsnak has told TCB previously that Hempel is focused on what’s working at West End: entertainment and services.

Krsnak said this week that Hemepl is currently working on six new leases for Shops at West End. “It’s too early to name them specifically, but several are brand new concepts to market while others are relocations or expansions from neighboring areas. We are also planning to update all the elevators, elevator lobbies, and interior corridors by the end of the year.” A proposal to add a second level and rooftop decks above some of the single-story shops is still being evaluated, Krsnak said, by Hempel’s architect and general contractor and the city of St. Louis Park.

Meanwhile, Krsnak said management is trying to drive traffic with summer events like West End Wednesdays, a weekly street fair with local vendors, food trucks and live music. West End also runs a free shuttle to Twins games at Target Field with a $20 purchase from any retailer or restaurant.