October 2019

Blaine Biz Connect is a monthly e-newsletter to keep you up to date on development happenings in the City of Blaine. From commercial to industrial to residential, Blaine is one of the fastest growing cities in Minnesota and always has new and exciting projects on the horizon.

In this newsletter, you will learn about featured developments, groundbreakings, grand openings, new businesses coming to Blaine, and recent approvals by the Blaine City Council.

Photos of construction inside the new Mary Ann Young Center

Featured Development - Mary Ann Young Center

Earlier this year construction began on the senior/activity center to replace the existing Mary Ann Young Senior Center that was built in 1982. The new building is a 15,000 square foot facility that will include space for a senior lounge/gathering area, dining facilities for daily senior lunch program, and other special events.

It will also include activity spaces and several activity rooms that will be available for use by residents. The project is expected to be complete by the end of 2019.

Recent City Council Approvals

WoW Kids Playtorium

On October 7, the city council approved the WoW Kids Playtorium. This is a new 14,700 square foot building located at 2321 124th Court near the Primrose School and Premier Banks south of Main Street.

The family entertainment business will feature a large indoor playground as well as party rooms, an imaginary town, and toddler area. The facility will have a cafe with concession style foods. Construction is anticipated to start either this winter or spring.

Planet Fitness

On October 7, the city council approved two new locations for Planet Fitness. Planet Fitness will be going into a portion of the old Gander Mountain building and also next to the At Home store at The Village of Blaine. Remodeling of the spaces has begun with facilities opening sometime this winter.

Site of current and potential future Northtown transit hub

Map courtesy of Metro Transit

Northtown Mall Subdivision

On October 7, the city council approved a subdivision request for Washington Prime Group who are the owners of Northtown Mall. The subdivision creates a new lot on the south side of the mall along Sanburnol Street, which will eventually be sold to Metro Transit for construction of a new transit station.

The existing transit station at Northtown will be relocated to allow for the mall owners to redevelop lots along the University Avenue side of the mall. The mall is hoping to attract new restaurants and retail users to the area.

Recent Groundbreakings

Hy-Vee

The developer has started earthwork for the Hy-Vee project. Based on the schedule provided to the city, tree clearing, site grading, and utility installation will start in October 2019 and continue through March 2020. Though the grocery and convenience stores are located on the eastern portion of the site, the entire site will be graded to prepare it for future development. There are no development proposals for the remainder of the site at this time.

Blaine Business Council

Do you want to connect with other Blaine businesses and hear about updates in the community? The Blaine Business Council is open to all Blaine businesses and is held quarterly at the TPC Twin Cities in Blaine. Meeting start at 7:30AM and the dates for 2020 are January 23, April 23, July 9, and October 22. No RSVP is necessary and we hope you can attend. For more information please visit the Metro North Chamber of Commerce website at metronorthchamber.org.

Blaine Business Visits

The vitality of the local economy depends upon a healthy, growing business community. In recognition of this fact, the City of Blaine offers a business visit program.

The primary purpose of the program is to establish a connection between city government and the private business and industry in the community. By visiting with and gathering information from companies through this program, we can become aware of expansion needs and anticipated business growth, address any needs or concerns you may have, and offer city assistance and support where possible.

Business visits are scheduled at a time that is convenient for you. Visits are meant to be both productive and helpful to the growth and longevity of your business here in Blaine. Generally one or two members of city staff and the Blaine City Council attend. If you would like to participate please contact Erik Thorvig at ethorvig@blainemn.gov or by phone at 763-785-6147.

Photo of National Sports Center stadium with crowd

Did You Know?

The City of Blaine has been named to the prestigious annual Money.com(formerly Money Magazine) 100 Best Places to Live in America list. Blaine is one of only three Minnesota locations to make the list.

This year there were 1,796 eligible places that were researched for possible selection. The rankings took more than 80 types of data into account. Data sets evaluated included: economy, cost of living, diversity, education, housing, health and safety, amenities, and ease of living.

This ranking and Blaine’s recent AAA bond rating shows that Blaine continues to be one of the best places to live, work, and grow.

More Information

This newsletter is brought to you by the Blaine Community Development department. Find more online at BlaineBiz.com.

Erik Thorvig
Community Development Director
ethorvig@blainemn.gov
763-785-6147

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