New stores coming to Duluth, anyone know of any? (Cloquet: drive-in, builder)

[duluthian2008]

Found this picture of a Sam's Club and it just reminded me of how it seems that Duluth got the short end of the stick when it comes to our Sam's Club. The new ones and some of the old renovated ones are very different. Most of them have stone and stucco on the exterior and look very inviting. Not the case with ours. Also the interiors are a lot bigger and there is a lot more sunlight in the newer and renovated stores. I feel like Duluth's should be remodeled and enlarged or torn down and rebuilt all together. For the shear amount of people that shop there you would think we would have a nicer location. Anyone have any thoughts?

[aluminumpork]

Originally Posted by bbtrips

Not sure how many live in the Lakeside/Lester Park area...

Around 14,000 people live in Lakeside. Yup, they're definitely due for a grocery store upgrade.

[jasper1372]

Originally Posted by duluthian2008

Found this picture of a Sam's Club and it just reminded me of how it seems that Duluth got the short end of the stick when it comes to our Sam's Club. The new ones and some of the old renovated ones are very different. Most of them have stone and stucco on the exterior and look very inviting. Not the case with ours. Also the interiors are a lot bigger and there is a lot more sunlight in the newer and renovated stores. I feel like Duluth's should be remodeled and enlarged or torn down and rebuilt all together. For the shear amount of people that shop there you would think we would have a nicer location. Anyone have any thoughts?

You're very right duluthian2008. I've made that very same comment and observations regarding many if not most of our commercial buildings around the area. We do usually seem to draw the short end of the stick when it comes to design and especially the landscaping around the buildings compared to other areas.

Some of you may be familiar with the former "Tanger" outlet mall in Northbranch down I35 a bit. It's a pretty boring grey strip mall with a huge paved parking lot in the front....ya that's the one. We were in Fort Myers Florida a year ago and lo and behold there was a Tanger outlet mall there. Oh my god, it was brightly colored and actually had some design to it. The parking lot was landscaped better than the city parks around Duluth. I was stunned when I saw it. I asked somebody how old it was thinking maybe it was a brand new property.....no, actually it was almost 10 years old and still was stunning to look at.

I think it may just be part of our local culture that we're more "utiliterian" people or something. We just want to buy stuff and don't really care what the building or grounds look like. I can't think of any other way to explain why we don't value nice design and landscaping around these parts.

[duluthian2008]

Very well put jasper1372. I agree with what you are saying. I too have seen actually a few different Tanger Outlet centers in my travels. Each one I have seen not only completely out did the ex North Branch Tanger Outlets, but each ones list of retailers was stunning compared to those at North Branches. It seems as if you almost have to get down to Blaine and Lino Lakes, Minnesota when people really start caring about the design of the places they buy products from. I mean yes, those areas are newer than Duluth and have a larger population. But it just seems as if people down in the cities really care about the cleaniness and design of the places they shop in. It seems even in places like Rochester, renovations and re builds of stores happen for more often than they do in Duluth. Hopefully with the recent uprise in retail development in Duluth retailers here will start treating us equal in design as other places in the country. We deserve it for the amount of business Duluthians give the businesses that locate here.

Dennyd, if your reading I just had quick question on the Target remodel. I was there yesterday and saw all of the draping around the old electronics section, obviously due to the new freezer section being installed. But when I was back by the photo lab I also saw that there was an area where the walls had been torn out. It is the corner space right next to the Pharmacy. When looking at the space I was trying to figure out what it was. I think I have it figured out but I am not sure. Is Target adding a Clinic to our store here? The area where this would go has been torn down to the exact specifications of a Target Clinic. They also usually tend to go on corner spaces. Is our Target getting a Clinic with the remodel or do you know what is happening in this area? Thanks!

[nateduluthnative]

I've noticed the design stuff most of my life. Take Stone Ridge center for instance, it looks like something from 1987, but was built in 1993-94. The "post-modern" look was popular in the late 1980's and since then, most stores and malls, at least the better ones, use the stone and brick with gabled roofs and shapes and now a more high-tech look for retail buildings has been emerging in the new millinium. I remember when the mall expanded and it seemed so cool at the time( I wished Dayton's, not Sears would have been its anchor), but the 1990's and 2000's have been pretty boring as far as architecture on "the Hill" goes. I personally think the only remotely interesting buildings on the hill are Olive Garden, Burning Tree Plaza and the Maple Square. Hopefully, some of the proposed developments will add some quality architecture to that area.

[dennyd]

Originally Posted by duluthian2008

Dennyd, if your reading I just had quick question on the Target remodel. I was there yesterday and saw all of the draping around the old electronics section, obviously due to the new freezer section being installed. But when I was back by the photo lab I also saw that there was an area where the walls had been torn out. It is the corner space right next to the Pharmacy. When looking at the space I was trying to figure out what it was. I think I have it figured out but I am not sure. Is Target adding a Clinic to our store here? The area where this would go has been torn down to the exact specifications of a Target Clinic. They also usually tend to go on corner spaces. Is our Target getting a Clinic with the remodel or do you know what is happening in this area? Thanks!

No unfortunately Target is not putting in a clinic, its just pushing the old wall towards the pharmacy to make room for the new main aisle due to the new grocery area having longer aisles.

[duluthian2008]

Thats unfortunate. You would think we would get a Clinic or atleast an optical. I makes me wonder with the front of the store having had no exterior work done, Target has seemed not to touch the interior part of the main entrance. They did not redo the neon lighting or even paint. Unless they are going to to do this still and they just have not gotten around to it, or it makes me wonder if someday they would remodel the extrance exterior an interior. But then again they did just redo all of the concrete and sidewalks outside the store. So that would be a big waste of money to rip up. I just wish we would have gotten a new modern exterior like most Target remodels get. Oh well.

By the way, I think its funny how the DNT is just getting to the Target remodel and we have been talking about it for months. Good job everyone!

[DSCBully]

In the comments of the DNT story on Target someone posted some old pictures of target 70's and 80's. Looks like some pictures of other stuff too. Interesting.

The Old Target Store in Duluth (http://superseventies.tripod.com/id38.html - broken link)

[nateduluthnative]

Originally Posted by DSCBully

In the comments of the DNT story on Target someone posted some old pictures of target 70's and 80's. Looks like some pictures of other stuff too. Interesting.

The Old Target Store in Duluth (http://superseventies.tripod.com/id38.html - broken link)

Yes, I've seen that site a bunch of times and there is a lot of old pictures of the old theaters and Goldfine's By The Bridge, etc. It doesn't get updated very often, but I would love to see pictures of the mall before the 80's expansion.

[duluthian2008]

Hmm its starting to make me wonder how the DNT is reporting all of these retail developements right after we talk about them (Target, T.J. Maxx and the Super One expansion/remodel)... It could be just a coincidence or it could be something else! Who knows!