Goodwill’s next step: second store in Maple Grove

Goodwill’s next step: second store in Maple Grove

by Mark Anderson

Published: August 13th, 2012 

The Goodwill proposal is for a 2-acre portion of a 6.2-acre redevelopment site now occupied by the former Maple Grove Cinema 10 and a large parking lot. (Photo: CoStar)

The Twin Cities Goodwill stores may soon be expanding their shopping bargains and job-training opportunities once again, this time with a new 20,600-square-foot store in Maple Grove.

Lisa Ritter, a spokeswoman for Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota, said the organization is negotiating a lease for a new building proposed at 13644 80th Circle N., on the north side of Interstate 94 at Weaver Lake Road. She said the lease hasn’t been signed yet, though.

Goodwill operates one other Maple Grove store, at 9530 Dunkirk Lane N., which the organization will continue to operate, Ritter said.

The planned Goodwill would be the nonprofit’s 26th store in the Twin Cities and its 10th new store since the beginning of 2010. The agency said last year that it planned to open between two and four stores each year, for the next five years, to meet the demand for low-cost merchandise.

The Goodwill proposal is for a 2-acre portion of a 6.2-acre redevelopment site now occupied by the former Maple Grove Cinema 10 and a large parking lot.

Oppidan was scheduled Monday evening to present its Goodwill site plan to the Maple Grove Planning Commission. City planner Peter Vickerman said the proposal conformed to the guidelines of a planned unit development for the site that was approved in April and that it would probably be sent to the city council for review on Aug. 20.

In a separate project that would fill the remainder of the site, developer Nick Lambrect is working on plans to redevelop the former movie theater into an entertainment center. Lambert’s plan would offer the Twin Cities’ first venue for WhirlyBall, a team sport that combines basketball and lacrosse, but is played from small bumper cars on an indoor track.

Retail specialist Oppidan has developed four Goodwill stores in the past three years, including recent developments in Minnetonka, Forest Lake, Champlin and Woodbury. Fendler Patterson Construction of Savage is the projects’ building contractor.

Oppidan said last September that a Goodwill it was building in Forest Lake would cost $3.3 million. That store was exactly the same size as the one proposed in Maple Grove.

Goodwill finances much of its job training, education and family supportive services from its retail stores operations. Revenue for Goodwill stores in Minnesota has grown from $33.4 million in 2009 to $46.8 million in 2011.

The store is expected to employ 30 full-time workers and another 12 who would hold job-training positions through Goodwill, according to materials submitted by Goodwill to the Maple Grove planners.

Patty Gibbs, a spokeswoman for Oppidan, said the developer expects to begin construction on the Goodwill in early September and finish by spring 2013.

Goodwill retail grows

Retail store revenue

2009: $33.4M

2010: $38.1M

2011: $46.8M

Source: Goodwill-Easter Seals Minnesota

 

 

Posted in: Press Releases