The group behind the popular Hmongtown Marketplace in St. Paul has acquired the former Sears location at the Maplewood Mall for $5.25 million earlier this month, according to a certificate of real estate value.

Hmongtown Marketplace is an outdoor and indoor market area in the Frogtown neighborhood, with over 125 stores and 11 restaurants, according to the group’s website. Stalls at the market sell southeast Asian food, both prepared and unprepared, as well as goods normally sold in Asian countries.

Toua Xiong, the owner and developer of Hmongtown Marketplace, was unavailable for an interview when contacted by Finance & Commerce.

In an interview with 3 Hmong TV, Xiong said the former Sears will serve as a second location for another Hmongtown Marketplace. On the CRV, the buyer is also listed as Hmongtown Marketplace 2 LLC.

In the interview, Xiong mentions the location could have more restaurants, another marketplace and a bowling alley.

The Maplewood Mall, where the property sits, but which has a different owner, changed ownership in June 2022. Five months after being purchased by Brookwood Capital Advisers for over $27 million, the group put the mall up for auction. In February 2023, the group then called off the auction.

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