Ep. 5: A City Within A City

With more than 32 million annual visitors, 10,000 employees and the busiest transit hub in Minnesota, Mall of America is, in almost every way, a bustling city. The Mall is fortunate to be at the center of Bloomington, Minnesota one of the most exciting cities in the nation. And on this episode, Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse shares insights into what it takes to run a successful, growing city.

Mayor Busse has a passion for the City of Bloomington… and for Mall of America. Prior to being elected mayor, Busse was a city council member and deeply involved in community issues. And he’s been a huge fan of the Mall since it opened in 1992. He shares stories of his family connections to the Mall, including the fact that his wife, Heather, was the Entertainment Director for Camp Snoopy – and how she recruited him to run the annual Halloween Haunt – it’s a story you won’t want to miss!

Busse also speaks openly about what it’s like to run a city, work with local businesses – small and large – and the importance of having honest dialogues and working through any issues. He shares that Bloomington has a long tradition of taking well-calculated risks on big projects such as the building of Mall of America. Recently the city (and the entire state/nation) bid on World Expo 2027. While a finalist, the bid went to another country. But as the Mayor quickly points out, you must try. And the bid exercise will lead to exciting development opportunities in Bloomington, Minnesota.

This episode is perfect for political junkies, business managers and owners, fans of the Mall and anyone with a passion for their community.

Guest: Tim Busse, Mayor of Bloomington, Minnesota

Host: Daniel Jasper

Presented by the Bloomington Convention and Visitors Bureau the official destination marketing organization for the city of Bloomington, Minn.