New stores coming to Duluth, anyone know of any? (Minneapolis: rent, floors)

[abrockman]

Where did you get the information that Walmart was building down the road? Was it a reliable source or just hearsay?

[duluthian2008]

Not only was it a reliable source, but there is already a development including it.

[duluthian2008]

WOW THAT INFORMATION ON THE PAPER ON THE WALMART SUPERCENTER REALLY MAKES ME OK WITH THEM ADDING ON! Although I wanted the Gas Pumps, I about died when I saw the rendering. That is the Walmart Supercenter Prototype design that was just released last June. There are only about 15 of these designs in the country. The store is much more upscale with this prototype. I really am excited now! This is great! Im still not so sure about the space down the road thats suppose to house one... but I guess Ill just have to look more into that.

[ComeToDuluth]

This sounds great but lets hope it doesn't face opposition again and get delayed like last time. If you read the comments people left on the duluthnewstribune website some of them are pretty nasty. Now we have to wonder what retail store is going in at that new re-cor construction site? That is really strange. Regarding the super walmart and gas pumps, one thing I noticed when buying gas at walmart pumps is it says the gas contains up to 10% ethanol. While this does make the gas cleaner I heard that you get less gas mileage with ethanol so if you are paying a bit less at the pump you might actually be paying more if you consider in getting less MPG. I don't claim to be an expert at this matter though and maybe 10% makes no difference at all. I would have liked the pumps too but I will still continue filling up at sams club which sometimes is up to 12cents cheaper per gallon than anywhere else.

I wonder if the walmart will have to close the store for the remodel or if they will be able to work around it somehow and still have sales going?

[duluthian2008]

It seems to me that the Hermantown City Council is all for it. The only problem they might run into is that Neighbor group that is for good business development. I really hope they pass this. I was really shocked when I saw that the 66,000 square feet was not all to one side, like originally thought, but instead it is wrapped all around the store. They are going to have to do some pretty intense work to the store, which makes me wonder if they are going to have to close for the remodel.

On the Re-Cor project, I really am trying hard to figure out what is going on. They are showing that the big box space, that is the exact Walmart prototype, is already leased. This doesnt make sense though. So Walmart either must have pulled out of that site, or something is going wrong. But now if that large merchandise retailer space is available, what would go in it? I doubt Target would want to locate that far up the highway and open a Super Target, so what other general merchandise retailer does that leave? Maybe they might have to subdivide the space into more smaller retailers, but the site still is going to need a major big box anchor. Lowes? That might be nice.

I buy my gas at Sams Too, so I am ok with Walmart not including one in their plan, I just thought it would be nice to have one on the Miller Trunk Highway.

That site next to Sam's Club is 20 acres of commerical zoned space. I really would have thought that Walmart would have just bought this land and built next to Sams Club a Walmart Supercenter. They do this often in other cities, that is have both right beside each other. I really would like to see Lowes go next Sam's with a few other retailers.

[chublake]

The Walmart remodel.... Well, you guys here's the deal. We have 6 super centers in our City and the latest built is apparently the same thing you are going to get. It is more upscale, no gas pumps, lower display shelves, no clutter and indirect display lighting and all that. Yours is going to be better than what you have, but the selections are not that of the other Super Centers. It's really limited. My guess is that they will add on one end for the Food Center, and the other end will have an Auto Center and limited garden center. One of our other major Super Centers went a remodel and they kept it open, but it was a mess. My guess is that they will keep yours open during the work. It's too bad that they didn't go out a little further and do a full blown Super Center. I guess you have to take what you can get, huh?

[duluthian2008]

Walmart is not doing full blown supercenters anymore. The new Walmart Supercenter prototype is actually typically 153,000 square feet to 163,000 square feet. Ours will be 184,000 square feet, so bigger than a one of the new Walmart Supercenters. The on down the road that was originally planned would have been around the same size that the remodel and expansion will make the current Walmart be. So in the end we actually get the best of both worlds. We get the new prototype, a nicer Walmart AND its closer to the heart of the city. Now we just need to figure out what happens with the space originally planned for Walmart Supercenter.

[nateduluthnative]

I just e-mailed a representative at Re-Cor for info on Hermantown Center, hopefully he will tell us more than the brochure does. It could use more creative name, every new strip mall up there is called Hermantown... I hope that it is architecturally interesting, not a boring concrete box like Stone Ridge!

[ComeToDuluth]

Originally Posted by nateduluthnative

I just e-mailed a representative at Re-Cor for info on Hermantown Center, hopefully he will tell us more than the brochure does. It could use more creative name, every new strip mall up there is called Hermantown... I hope that it is architecturally interesting, not a boring concrete box like Stone Ridge!

Good luck, I did this about 2 weeks ago and no reply yet.

[duluthian2008]

Even more luck to both of you, I did this one month ago, and a year and a half ago when the project was first mentioned, no reply yet.

I looked at a few other projects of Re-Cor and they are very nice, very architecturally interesting.