Saturday Morning Links, News, And Views -- Part II -- Dickinson Adding 1.4 Million Square Feet Of Retail Space

The Dickinson Press provides an update on economic development in Dickinson:

The first building of Dickinson’s major new retailers is beginning to look like the Menards store it’s going to be.

There are three major commercial developments planned for Dickinson’s west side, and while there are complete and near-complete hotels and apartments on the site, Menards is the first retailer to break ground at Roers’ West Ridge.

“We have several national retailers and restaurants that have shown an interest in the city that, over the next year, I anticipate them announcing that they will be coming to Dickinson,” said Ed Courton, Dickinson’s community development director. Big box stores can take nine months to a year to complete.

Directly north of West Ridge is Pinecrest, Meyer Real Estate Group’s commercial development, and on the south side of Interstate 94, along 30th Avenue West is the 5 Diamond commercial development.

As proposed, these three developments will add up to 1.4 million square feet of retail to Dickinson, Courton said.

Beltrami County, Minnesota, will lose $1 million/year in lease money from Enbridge with new Sandpiper proposed route to avoid the wetlands:

Beltrami County makes about $900,000 off Enbridge Energy each year, but no more funds will be funneling into county coffers if the Canadian company has its way.
Enbridge chose the route it prefers for the proposed Sandpiper pipeline, and it does not run through Beltrami County, which made just south of $1 million in property taxes off the company in 2011.

“It’s mainly about winter construction costs,” said Becky Haase, spokeswoman for Enbridge. With the proposed route, taking a sharp turn to the south just west of the Beltrami and Clearwater county line, those costs will be much lower, Haase said.
The property taxes for the Sandpiper would go to the eight Minnesota counties through which the pipeline will travel — a distance of 610 miles, with a price tag of $2.5 billion, according to Haase.

From west to east, those counties are Polk, Red Lake, Clearwater, Hubbard, Cass, Crow Wing, Aitkin and Carlton. With the existing pipeline, which runs through Clearbrook, Bemidji and just south of Grand Rapids, the Sandpiper would bring to 11 the number of counties carrying Enbridge oil.

Easy come, easy go. I assume the Beltrami folks are happy to finally be rid of Enbridge. And the million bucks each year. Easy come, easy go. Be sure to thank your local environmentalist.