New stores coming to Duluth, anyone know of any? (Cloquet: flooring, shops)

[duluthian2008]

My question is why isnt Target looking at the 35 ACRES OF ZONED RETAIL next to Sams Club? That site is absolutely perfect for them. Plus they could include more retail with their store. Its only a block or two down the road from their current location. Honestly thats where I have always thought Target should build a Super Target. The problem with the Kmart site though is that I dont think it is big enough. Target would have to acquire Country Lanes too in order to build. What I would give for a Super Target.

[dennyd]

Originally Posted by duluthian2008

My question is why isnt Target looking at the 35 ACRES OF ZONED RETAIL next to Sams Club? That site is absolutely perfect for them. Plus they could include more retail with their store. Its only a block or two down the road from their current location. Honestly thats where I have always thought Target should build a Super Target. The problem with the Kmart site though is that I dont think it is big enough. Target would have to acquire Country Lanes too in order to build. What I would give for a Super Target.

The deal with the current Target site is, that it has a very good corner property on the corner of two of the busiest roads in the mall corridor, Hwy 53 and Maple Grove. I can't see them leaving that space they currently have for that one reason, even despite the space constrictions they have now. And also, it's hard to tell it Target wants to stay within Duluth, or if it is willing to move into Hermantown.

[ComeToDuluth]

Does anyone know whats going on with the construction by sams club?

[duluthian2008]

Its just a road being put in. Stoplights are going up at that corner due to future traffic that will be in that area. The road will only go to the back of Sams Club. Then Hermantown will be building the rest of the road which will connect to the awkward corner by Hom Furniture.

By the way, the First Photo building and land on Central Entrance is pending! I am very curious to see who bought it and what they are going to do with it.

[aluminumpork]

Very cool about the First Photo building. That whole lower section by Duluth Motorsports really needs a makeover. Any fresh construction down there will really help everybody out. I wonder if the First Photo land purchase could be related to 'some' developer wanting to change the zoning on the other side of Central Entrance (by Minnesota Sewing) from R-2 (two family residential) to C-5 (planned commercial)?

The whole lower section of Central Entrance has so much potential! It's frustrating to see the current businesses that go in and out. We need very permanent tenants down there with fresh construction.

About the road behind Sam's Club. I had no idea that would eventually connect to the strange corner by HOM Furniture!! That's great! It all makes sense now.

[DSCBully]

I know that the goodyear tire place next to taco johns is pending. I know it was in pre-foreclosure. The sale is the building and land, without the business.

[aluminumpork]

Originally Posted by DSCBully

I know that the goodyear tire place next to taco johns is pending. I know it was in pre-foreclosure.

Yeah, I saw that for sale on one of the local listing site (forgot which). I have a feeling nothing will happen with it for quite awhile though. The whole area should be much more attractive (both commercially and visually) when the road construction is finished. Proper cross walks and complete sidewalks on both sides of the street should help immensely.

[DSCBully]

The goodyear is between taco johns and advanced auto parts on central entrance. I don't think they are redoing that part of the road.

[aluminumpork]

Oops! I could of sworn there was talk about redoing that section of road. But none of the plans on MNDot's project website show any work down there. (Home of Project). Well, it should be redone! The "walkability" of that area is terrible. There needs to be more flow control with specific turn lanes, full sidewalks and a center divider. The turn lane is chaos otherwise.

[edit]
In hindsight, reading through the MNDot's Miller Trunk Corridor Project page, I'm a little confused by the "Highway 194 from Mesaba Avenue to Highway 53 (Trinity Road)" statement. That makes me think top of Mesaba Ave to Trinity, which would go through Central Entrance. Also, I swear I had heard talk (just rumors/ideas) about splitting the current Central Entrance just after the entrance to Central Highschool (going West, towards the mall) into two separate one-way two lane roads. The current Central Entrance would become the new one-way West bound road, and Palm street (the road behind Subway, Advanced Auto Parts, etc) would be come the new one-way East bound road. This configuration would run until the intersection of Anderson Rd and Central Entrance where the two one-ways would combine once again to form the current Central Entrance we know. This would actually make sense to me. Getting into and leaving a business on Central Entrance would be much easier (dealing with only one direction), but you could still leave a business and go either direction. Bemidji has a similar setup where highway 197 splits into two one-ways and has quite a few businesses in the middle. Seemed to work pretty well there.
[/edit]

[duluthian2008]

What you heard about splitting the roads was true. That was the original plan by MN Dot until the construction costs became too expensive and they could not recieve any funding for it. Ill contact Roberta and see if she has any news on it!