Business, Mysteries, Uncategorized

Lapsed Retail

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I’ve always been fascinated by empty store fronts.  Always a little sad because a business hasn’t made it and intensely curious about what will replace it.  There are three particular spots on my horizon.

In 2013, Beek’s Pizza and Diamond Lake Rentals just off of 54th and Lyndale were destroyed by a spectacular fire.  It was January; the fire department had a devil of a time and the water froze into sheets of ice.  It actually looked like a bit of an ice palace the first couple of days after the fire.  A few years later they did some digging on the site but only for a few days.  Other than that the lot has sat empty all these years.  Apparently some property management company purchased it in 2021 but not a darn thing has happened.  Personally I’d love to see a bagel shop but I won’t hold my breath.

Near 50th and Xerxes there used to be a Michelangelos Pizza.  It was a favorite spot of mine – great pizza and a fabulous salad with riced provolone cheese.  They closed suddenly for renovations in 2017 and then never re-opened.  Apparently they found more structural problems than they anticipated and then the owner of the building passed away.  Somebody’s been working on it since last winter and the Tono’s Pizzeria and Cheesesteak sign went up a few weeks ago.  I drive that direction a lot and I have to say, they’re not moving at the speed of light. 

The other sad dark retail that I pay attention to is the huge ex-Rainbow Foods storefront down on 66th and Nicollet.  I used to shop at that Rainbow but knew it was in a death spiral.  Store needs money to keep it up to date, since store isn’t up to date, people stop shopping.  I was not surprised when it closed in 2018.  I know that the Rainbow brand is owned by Jerry’s so I was hoping that they would fix it up, rebrand it and re-open, but that hasn’t happened.  Early last fall there were signs up saying it would be a Halloween store, but that never happened.  They only action the spot sees these days is the big fireworks tent in the parking lot every July.

I suppose some of the reason I’m fascinated is that I know that space/land just sitting there in a retail-zoned spot is costing somebody money.  I’m guessing you still have to pay taxes on the property, even if you don’t have a thriving business.  Rainbow/Jerry’s is probably working to do something with the space, but the other two spots had to have been chewing a hole in somebody’s pocket for all these years.  And the Beek’s property has actually had some legal action due to the inactivity, so even more expenditures. 

Not sure what I’ll do when these storefronts aren’t empty any longer.  I support I’ll find others to stalk.

What kind of business would you like to see open near you?

42 thoughts on “Lapsed Retail”

  1. When we lived here (Winona) in the 80s, there was a K-Mart out on Hwy. 61 that eventually went under. Sat empty for I don’t know how many years, but was eventually bought up by Gunderson Health System (based in LaCrosse).

    I personally would have liked to see a Trader Joe’s, and next time there is a good space, that’s what I’d want. I doubt that they build in this small a town, though.

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  2. …took me a minute to make sense out of that last sentence. I guess you intended “I suppose…”.

    The double whammy of the George Floyd destruction and the shut downs during Covid meant there were a lot of shuttered or destroyed businesses along the Lake Street corridor. Some of it has been revitalized, not always in forms I care about ( like hemp outlets) and a lot of it has lagged. That means I have to travel further for some of the things I want or need but we are well located to be able to access those things. It would be nice to have a good Chinese take-out place a little closer to our house.

    On the flip side of today’s topic, I always wonder about those businesses that persist unaccountably. There’s a wicker store, for example, on Marshall Avenue near the Lake Street bridge that has been there as long as I can remember. Who is buying all that wicker? It makes me wonder if it might be a front for something else.

    I’ve sometimes heard mattress stores accused of being fronts for something else. Often there is more than one in the same immediate neighborhood. Who is buying all those mattresses?

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    2. I don’t know if that wicker store is a front for something else, but I do know that they do in fact sell wicker. Hans has bought wicker there numerous times to repair the seat of chairs with wicker seats.

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  4. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

    Southdale is an interesting dying/reborn retail space. Last fall when the Hennepin Co. Master Gardeners had their houseplant sale in the closed Victoria Secret store, we were about the only thing in the mall bringing people in. Now the entire complex is being re-worked into a kind of Main Street with a grocery store, banks, and a county Human Services office. That will be interesting to watch.

    Anything I want in nearby closed storefronts is really bad for me. I would love a good ice cream store, but do I need that near me? No, indeed! In EP there is a lot of empty office space, while developers are building apartments as fast as they can. I am waiting for a developer to re-develop office space into apartments.

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  5. Mankato is full of shuttered store fronts, strip malls with spaces never rented, and businesses, which I like, Bill, wonder how they survive. We used to have many mattress stores. Did not know they were fronts for other operations. Now we are overloaded with big ugly new banks. I am surrounded by them. Shows how debased our culture is.
    We have been told a Trader Joe’s was coming. That is what I would like, but it would not survive here. Would not fit the culture of this area. Also, I would like a non-chain non-bar restaurant. And a store other than Walmart where you can buy household items and clothing. Target here tries to have everything so it has nothing.
    OT a landslide in a sprawling woodland park broke a major sewer line. Huge pollution issue for city among all the other issues.

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  6. I’d really like a used bookstore. A big one like the one in Washburn, WI, Chequamegon Books (www.chequamegonbooks.com). It’s my favorite bookstore. Plus they have espresso. I have spent an entire morning in there, just browsing.

    OT: There is a lot going on with Superior Shores and I learned a whole lot yesterday. The Lakehomes are not in danger (phew!) but Mr Campbell owns at least two shares of my condo and a few others. He has defaulted on his loans and the property has reverted to the former owner (who doesn’t want it back), so a buyer for the lodge, restaurant, and any properties held by Mr Campbell will have to be found. I own my unit, so it isn’t in any danger. The entire resort is now sort of in a holding pattern. No one can sell if they have their property financed. All of the condo shares owned by Mr Campbell have been pulled from the market. I own mine and I can sell it. My realtor called me late last night. He’s the property manager I wish I had. He manages the Lakehome properties for about 95 percent of the association. Mine, however, is managed by Superior Shores Resort. That situation has been less than ideal all along and I have missed Mr Young who is my realtor. He called last night and we talked for a long time. He has a buyer with a financial time limit. That buyer can’t buy one of Mr Campbell’s units now due to the whole upheaval. So I might sell him mine. I’ve been considering a different one anyway and that owner and I have already discussed price. So… this could work out well for me! I learned a lot yesterday. Mr Campbell’s problems might be a blessing for the Lakehome Association.

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    2. If you haven’t been there, Chester Creek books in Duluth is good for a couple hours’ browsing on your way up to Superior Shores. His inventory of used books is extensive and his prices are modest. No espresso though.

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    4. The morning after the Lutsen fire I had a tax client from the area. She said her fiance had worked there, and the rumors were flying about arson, even a few hours after the resort burned down.

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        2. Well, the library has a used bookstore from people’s donated books, but I don’t count that as a true bookstore.

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  8. A complete pet store with surrender/adoption capability.
    This Sunday, I made an acquaintance with a bird rescuer who must now surrender her own umbrella cockatoo, Amazon green wing and two Hyacinth macaws. I can’t take any as they are quite loud and possibly incompatible with my budgies. The Charlie Brown Bird Rescue is 40 miles north of Columbus, Ohio. I’ll get them there somehow.

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  9. A “real” bakery (old school doing bread and pies and quality doughnuts, caramel rolls, cakes, eclairs, bismark’s, cookies, etc. We’re getting a wine bar downtown starting Saturday, so I can cross that off my list. An office supply store would be nice, but I think they need to be in a big box to survive. Perhaps a new/different ethnic restaurant downtown.

    Chris in Owatonna

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  10. I have tried emailing Sherrilee twice to let her know that I am ready for August, but the emails can’t be delivered. VS, are you in the Antipodes?

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    1. I’m here. Not sure what the problem is because I’m getting emails from other places. But I knew you were ready because you’re always ready!!

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        2. I’m not sure what the problem is, but I’ve texted a couple of people and had them email me and their emails have come through.

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  13. I wish my neighborhood still had a bakery/coffee shop like Jerabek’s. They had wonderful rhubarb bars. At Cristmas they made julekage.

    There is a coffee shop down the hill that roasts their own coffee, but I don’t really care for their coffee much, so if I go there I order a chai latte or something. Their food leaves something to be desired, it’s pricey and just not very tasty. They do a ham and cheese croissant, but it’s served cold. I’ve ordered it and taken it home to put in the toaster oven, but it’s nothing special.

    What I wouldn’t give for a coffee shop that really understood the value of a good rhubarb bar.

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