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reprint or license thisBig-box retailers moving in
Menards superstore follows Wal-Mart
BY JOHN BREWER
Pioneer Press
The big-box retail store march continues in the St. Croix River Valley.
St. Croix Falls City Council members approved on Thursday night a final site plan for a 188,000-square-foot Menards along U.S. 8.
The site is about a mile east of the 184,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter that opened in May.
The plan still needs a final look Tuesday night from the city's Planning Commission before work on the project can go ahead.
Marv Prochaska, vice president for real estate with Menard Inc., said the store could be completed within nine months of breaking ground. When construction will begin is still up in the air.
"Two weeks ago I would have told you, 'Soon,' " he said. "We're ready to break ground … whenever spring gets here."
The new store will include home improvement items, a 3½-acre lumberyard and a garden center with live plants. Plans show the store — which will measure about 240,000 square feet with the garden center — sitting on a 40-acre site at the southwest corner of U.S. 8 and 208th Street.
Menard Inc. has 207 stores in 10 states across the Midwest, Prochaska said.
The project should immediately generate more than $200,000 for the city, which requires new retailers to contribute $1,000 to the city for every 1,000 square feet of floor space and put money into an outdoor art fund. The city already has earmarked $20,000 for an 11-foot-tall sculpture to be created by a local artist.
City Administrator Ed Emerson said having easily accessible retail is nice, but it's unclear how big-box stores affect downtown businesses.
"So far it seems like a good thing," he said.
Mayor Lee Uhrhammer said he thinks more retail options will help keep residents from shopping in Minnesota.
"We've been losing people across the bridge for a long time, so if we can retain them over here, it's going to be good for the community in general," he said.
A similar effort continues in River Falls, where Wal-Mart officials want to build a 185,000-square-foot store.
Two representatives of Wal-Mart met with city officials March 10, armed with site plans for a Wal-Mart Supercenter at Radio Road and Wisconsin 35.
It was the second meeting in five months between the two groups, but it appears there are still significant hurdles.
Mayor Don Richards said the city has asked Wal-Mart officials to rework their plan for the 30-acre property.
"There are road issues, sewer and water issues," he said. "It's not a done deal yet."
The lawyer for the property owners was unavailable for comment Friday.
John Brewer can be reached at 1-800-950-9080, ext. 2093, or jbrewer@pioneerpress.com.
