A look ahead: Southdale's center court update will be complete by November.

Score one for Southdale. The ailing Edina mall owned by Simon Properties Group, promised that renovations would lead to new and better stores, and with construction well underway, Southdale Center today announced its first wave of store openings including Minnesota’s first Madewell —a hot concept from J.Crew that is sure to help the mall win back some of the trendsetters it has lost in recent years. Other stores opening at Southdale by November include Sephora, White House/Black Market, Soma Intimates and Lucky Brand.

Meanwhile, several existing retailers are reinvesting in their Southdale stores. Ann Taylor and Loft will debut new stores in September. Bath & Body Works took over three storefronts to build one big new store. Victoria Secret will open a 9,000-square-foot store, complete with beauty and all of its lines. Caribou Coffee is moving from its small stand to a larger footprint in the middle of center court. And yes, that does mean Santa will have to move—this holiday season, the mall will debut an all new Santa’s village in the AMC Theaters court. “It will be traditional,” Southdale spokeswoman Lauren Carpenter promised. “This is Edina.”

Expect more new store announcements in the coming weeks, along with several new restaurants. There’s a sit-down restaurant in the works for the former Maggiano’s space, and possibly another to take over Ulta, which is moving across the street to the Best Buy space. The new food court will be filled with fast food, like Great Steak & Potato Company and Subway, which are coming down from the third floor ghost town. There will also be two fast casual options…think chicken and burgers, I’ve been told.

As I’ve reported previously, Southdale is getting new entrances, a children’s play area, a new transit station and parking deck and totally updated common areas. Today, Southdale revealed more of its planned look: Out with the turquoise; in with a contemporary palate of neutrals, and woods that pay homage to mall’s mid century roots as the nation’s first enclosed shopping center.

The entire remodel will be complete by November. By the end of the year, Carpenter says the mall will be fully leased—quite a turnaround, considering Southdale had been lagging behind the Twin Cities’ other malls.

Southdale Center is getting a new Metro Transit station outside of JC Penney's, with bathrooms and heated areas.