---
title: "Chicago Trend buys Minneapolis strip mall to build local wealth"
publication: "MediaBias News"
url: "https://mediabias.news/business/chicago-trend-buys-minneapolis-strip-mall-to-build-local-wealth"
api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/chicago-trend-buys-minneapolis-strip-mall-to-build-local-wealth"
markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/chicago-trend-buys-minneapolis-strip-mall-to-build-local-wealth.md"
audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/chicago-trend-buys-minneapolis-strip-mall-to-build-local-wealth"
category: "Business & Economy"
area: "United States"
published: "2026-08-04T12:26:03.108Z"
source_reported: "2026-08-03T21:16:00.000Z"
updated: "2026-08-04T19:16:36.555Z"
assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis"
fact_check_status: "not-performed"
---

# Chicago Trend buys Minneapolis strip mall to build local wealth

*Social enterprise promises community ownership in one of the Twin Cities’ lowest-income neighbourhoods*

**The short version**

- Chicago Trend, a Chicago-based social enterprise, is purchasing Hawthorn Crossings strip mall in north Minneapolis.
- The company promises to build local wealth and support community development in one of the Twin Cities’ lowest-income and most diverse neighbourhoods.
- The model includes offering local residents the opportunity to buy into and own part of the mall.
- No right-rated outlet reported on the purchase or the development plans.

A Chicago-based social enterprise has bought the Hawthorn Crossings strip mall in north Minneapolis. The purchaser, identified as Chicago Trend in some reports, plans to create a model where local residents can invest in and own part of the property. The mall is located in one of the Twin Cities’ lowest-income and most diverse neighbourhoods.

Chicago Trend’s stated goal is to build local wealth and support community development. The company has not yet released details on how the ownership structure will work or when residents will be able to invest. The purchase was reported by outlets across the left and centre, but no right-rated outlet carried the story.

## What the coverage left out

No right-rated outlet ran the story at all. None of the digests, left or centre, included details on the purchase price, the timeline for resident investment, or how the ownership model would operate. The company’s past projects or the specific mechanisms for local wealth-building were also not mentioned in any digest.

**Coverage watch:** unwatched. Checked 0 times; 0 checks found a material change.

## How the sides framed it

### Left

- All five left-rated digests led on Chicago Trend’s promise to build local wealth and support community development. Four of the five named the neighbourhood as one of the Twin Cities’ lowest-income and most diverse. The Associated Press News digest specified that the area is among the most diverse in the region. The Toronto Star and SF Gate digests identified the purchaser as Chicago Trend, while the others referred to it only as a Chicago-based social enterprise.
- The left-rated digests uniformly framed the purchase as an effort to create community ownership. None of the five digests mentioned a timeline for when residents could invest or how the ownership model would be structured. The Independent (UK and US) digests carried the least detail, omitting the company’s name and the neighbourhood’s economic status.

### Centre

- Both centre-rated digests, from Washington Top News and the New Haven Register, led on the same elements: the purchase by a Chicago-based social enterprise, the promise to build local wealth, and the opportunity for neighbours to buy in. Both named the purchaser as Chicago Trend and described the neighbourhood as one where the company aims to support community development.
- Neither centre-rated digest specified the neighbourhood’s income level or its diversity. The Washington Top News digest did not mention the Twin Cities context, while the New Haven Register digest did not describe the area as low-income.

### Right

No separate framing summary.

## Verification scope

This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true.

## Original reporting this was written from

- [Washington Top News](https://wtop.com/national/2026/08/a-developer-is-asking-neighbors-to-buy-in-and-own-part-of-a-north-minneapolis-mall) — A developer is asking neighbors to buy in and own part of a north Minneapolis mall
- [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/a-developer-is-asking-neighbors-to-buy-in-and-own-part-of-a-north-minneapolis-mall/article_b666078c-1b30-5ae1-92fd-80d34d6dfe12.html) — A developer is asking neighbors to buy in and own part of a north Minneapolis mall
- [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/minneapolis-ceo-people-one-minnesota-b3026825.html) — A developer is asking neighbors to buy in and own part of a north Minneapolis mall
- [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-mall-chicago-trend-community-investors-540237705d35ab7297ad2b87ab130b49) — A developer is asking neighbors to buy in and own part of a north Minneapolis mall
- [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/minneapolis-ceo-people-one-minnesota-b3026825.html) — A developer is asking neighbors to buy in and own part of a north Minneapolis mall
- [SF Gate](https://sfgate.com/business/article/a-developer-is-asking-neighbors-to-buy-in-and-own-22372444.php) — A developer is asking neighbors to buy in and own part of a north Minneapolis mall
- [New Haven Register](https://nhregister.com/business/article/a-developer-is-asking-neighbors-to-buy-in-and-own-22372444.php) — A developer is asking neighbors to buy in and own part of a north Minneapolis mall

## Questions

**Who is buying the Hawthorn Crossings strip mall?**

Chicago Trend, a Chicago-based social enterprise, is purchasing the Hawthorn Crossings strip mall in north Minneapolis. The company focuses on building local wealth and supporting community development in low-income neighbourhoods.

**What is the goal of the purchase?**

Chicago Trend aims to create a model where local residents can invest in and own part of the mall. The company promises to build local wealth and support community development in one of the Twin Cities’ lowest-income and most diverse neighbourhoods.

**Did any right-rated outlets cover the story?**

No right-rated outlet reported on the purchase of Hawthorn Crossings or Chicago Trend’s plans. The story was covered by left and centre-rated outlets, but none on the right.

**What details are missing from the reports?**

None of the digests included the purchase price, the timeline for resident investment, or how the ownership model would work. The company’s past projects and specific mechanisms for local wealth-building were also not mentioned.

---

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