Dinkytown will serve as the test site for the first-ever mini Target store this summer.

Dubbed TargetExpress, the store will be about one-sixth the size of Minneapolis-based Target’s smallest branches. It allows Target to open more locations in dense urban areas, said company spokeswoman Sarah Van Nevel.

The store, scheduled to open July 27, is located less than 10 minutes from Target headquarters in downtown Minneapolis.

“That proximity will allow us to really dig in and test and learn on a day-to-day basis … so that we can continue to customize and improve the experience,” Van Nevel said.

TargetExpress will model the big store format, Van Nevel said, offering products ranging from electronics and groceries to health, including a pharmacy.

The inaugural TargetExpress will sit at the base of The Marshall — a 317-unit apartment complex on the site previously home to the University Technology Enterprise Center, or UTEC, building.

Marshall community manager David Klabanoff said the building has 40,000 square feet of commercial space divided into four storefronts. The 20,000-square-foot TargetExpress will inhabit the largest retail lot, he said.

In comparison, the CVS Pharmacy in the Dinkytown business district is slightly less than 15,000 square feet.

“This is just going to be a great amenity for us and the neighborhood,” said Susan Jennings, vice president of corporate communications for EdR, the company that owns The Marshall. “I’m sure Target is going to do everything they can to make it successful. That’s what a beta test is all about.”

Van Nevel said the TargetExpress will reflect prices comparable to the University of Minnesota area.

“TargetExpress will be priced competitively based on where it’s located,” she said.