The mall was no more than 2 years old before an expansion was underway. It would add a Minnesota-based Dayton's and South Wing of inline stores (in medium gray). The addition was completed in August 1978. The mall now encompassed around 750,800 leasable square feet. Its tenant list had been expanded to seventy-nine stores.
THE EMPIRE TENANTS 1978:
YOUNKERS (with Beauty Salon and Younkers Restaurant) / J.C. PENNEY (with Beauty Salon, restaurant and freestanding Auto Center) / DAYTON'S / HERBERGER'S / OSCO DRUG / A & W Root Beer / The Art Store / All American Sub / Baker's Shoes / Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream / Bostwick's / Brook's Fashions / Burke's / Buttrey's ladies' wear / Candles 'N Things / Coach House Gifts / The County Seat / Cover To Cover / Crazy Top Shop / dg pac's / Dick Haler's Clocks / Eastwold Smoke Shop / Extra Touch / Fanny Farmer Candies / First Sioux Falls National Bank / Foxmoor Casuals / Flowerama / Gallenkamp Shoes / Gatsby's / GNC / Golden Hanger / Harold's Camera / Hickory Farms of Ohio / Home Federal Savings & Loan / Horwitz Jewelers / Hy Vee supermarket (outparcel) / JB's Big Boy Restaurant / Jay Vee ladies' wear / Jeans West / Jeanne's Fashion Fabrics / Karmelkorn / Kinney Shoes / Labelle's Catalog Showroom (outparcel) / LaVergne's Red Cross Shoes / Linda Lee's Cards & Gifts / The Living Room / Maurices ladies' wear / Michael's / Michael's Footnote / Nina Boutique / Orange Julius / Osborn's men's wear / Plaza Twin Theaters / Radio Shack / Record Shop / Regis Hairstylists / Riddle's Keepsake Jewelry Center / Scheel's Sporting Goods / Schmitt Music Centers / So-Fro Fabrics / Stuarts ladies' ready-to-wear / Susie's Casuals / Spencer Gifts / Taco Bandito / Team Electronics / The Athlete's Foot / The Bottom Half / The Land of Oz Family Amusement Center / Toy Fair / Two Plus Two / Vanity Shop / Waldenbooks / The Westerner / Wiener King / Wilson's Leather / Westmoor Music / Women's Corner / Young America / Zales Jewelers