Crosby Lofts meets lodging demand of mountain bikers

Doug Arndt, his wife and four adult children are avid mountain bikers and alpine skiers. Their permanent home is in the Twin Cities, and they have spent a lot of time in the western United States with their children competing in USSA ski events. It was in Crested Butte, Colorado and Park City, Utah that Arndt saw the resurgence of former mining towns and recognized the same potential in Crosby where the family mountain bikes and owns a cabin.

Arndt is a 40-year veteran of the commercial/industrial construction industry and a commercial real estate broker. He recently founded Cuyuna Hospitality Company (CHC) with business partner Nick Summers, formerly of Cargill, Inc. CHC purchased “30 West Main,” a 9,400-square-foot brick building that was built in 1900 and transformed it into Crosby Lofts through a complete remodel. Crosby Lofts includes eight short-term rental units with en suite bathrooms on the second level, along with a secure bike storage room, and a bike wash station.

CHC leased the first level to Rafferty’s, a small pizza chain with locations in nearby Brainerd, Crosslake and Nisswa. Rafferty’s will operate a wood-fired pizza restaurant and tap room at the Lofts.

“This has been an enjoyable project working with the City of Crosby, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and our team of local architects and contractors. It was developed with respect to the history of the area and with sensitivity to the outdoor environment,” said Arndt. “We created unique and affordable lodging four city blocks from the trailhead. Guests can park their car when they arrive and never start it until they depart for home.”

Crosby Lofts and Rafferty’s opened earlier this month. It is Crosby’s first lodging facility and a $1.38-million-dollar project that created 11 full-time jobs between the two operations.

Victual brings premium ice cream and gourmet food to Crosby

Entrepreneur Paul Kirkman purchased a historic 1911 building on Crosby’s main street to launch Victual, a specialty store with unique gourmet food and first-of-its-kind super premium ice cream that is lactose-free while still being full dairy. This is his second business venture, the other is American-made manufacturer and retailer Itasca Leathergoods based in nearby Lake George.

Victual will sell artisan cheeses, charcuterie (cured meats), packaged gourmet goods, specialty distilled spirits, kitchen and home gifts, and Kirkman’s own brand of ice cream, Rave Creamworks. The building was completely remodeled, and an outdoor patio with seating is being added with a small stage for occasional live music. Victual will also host cheese-making demonstrations and classes with wine pairings.

“We often traveled to the Twin Cities and brought back with us a cooler stocked with favorite food items not available in our local grocery stores,” said Kirkman. “Victual brings those specialty items up north into a marketplace (Crosby) that is undergoing a striking renaissance through ecotourism.”

Kirkman’s interest in ice cream began with his family’s tradition of hand-churning it at family gatherings. When Kirkman’s spouse and business partner, Paul VanderWaal couldn’t eat ice cream due to lactose-intolerance, Kirkman began to explore ways to make lactose-free ice cream.

Kirkman completed the Ice Cream Makers course at University of Wisconsin-Madison, home of the nation’s first dairy school. He connected with industry professionals that are currently guiding him in the development of Rave Creamworks as a national ice cream brand.

Victual will open later this month. It is about a $600,000 project that created approximately 10 full-time and part-time jobs, and more jobs are expected with growth of the ice cream venture. Future plans may include opening additional retail locations in other markets for both Rave Creamworks and Victual.

Note: Victual received Business Energy Retrofit and Downtown Business Rehabilitation grants, which are funded by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and administered through a partnership with Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA).

Itasca County Historical Society (ICHS) is developing a new interactive veterans exhibit that includes a museum display and an online searchable database to record the digital personal history of every Itasca County veteran. Represented in the project will be veterans of the five branches of the United States military including Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Itasca County has an estimated 9,000 veterans, half of whom are still living.

The museum display will encompass conflicts involving America beginning with the Civil War, followed by the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War, Dessert Storm, and the Global War on Terror. Special components of the exhibit are Women in the Mines, Life Back Home, Missing in Action & Prisoners of War, and a station to write a thank you card to military personnel currently serving.

ICHS is encouraging veterans, spouses or family members of a veteran (living and deceased) from Itasca County to complete a questionnaire that will be added to the searchable database. The questionnaire asks for basic information such as name, rank, branch and dates of service, as well as more detailed and personal stories of military career highlights and life after serving. There are also provisions for uploading photos. Click here to access the veterans questionnaire.

“The veterans and citizens of Itasca County have had a significant impact on the American military,” said Lilah Crowe, ICHS executive director. “The new exhibit and database will add a richness and depth of understanding to the culture and heritage of our region and its people.”

Crowe added that the project will enlist the help of volunteers for data entry and input from veterans for the display design. The new exhibit will live at the ICHS museum in Grand Rapids which attracts about 4,000 visitors annually. It is scheduled to be completed later this year.

Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported this project with a Culture & Tourism grant through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry. Email Danae Beaudette for details or call her at 218-735-3022.

PHOTO: Itasca County veteran Otto Kinnunen, Jr. is pictured in Europe in 1920 during World War I. Photo courtesy of Itasca County Historical Society.

Strong arts, culture, heritage and recreational activities are essential to the quality of life and economy of our region. Eighteen projects were recently awarded Culture & Tourism grants.

• American Bear Association, Orr: $14,267 to launch marketing campaign and purchase maintenance equipment.
• Chisholm KIDS PLUS, Chisholm: $5,000 to develop a downtown public art mural.
• Crane Lake Visitor & Tourism Bureau: $8,000 to add an informational kiosk and handicap bathrooms.
• Curl Mesabi Foundation, Eveleth: $12,499 to install cameras and monitors to observe curling ice action at the Range Recreation Civic Center.
• Deerwood Civic & Commerce, Deerwood: $20,000 to develop a splash pad in a community park.
• Dorothy Molter Museum, Ely: $5,000 to restore two exhibit cabins.
• Ely Community Resources, Ely: $20,000 to develop a skateboard wheel park.
• Ely Folk School, Ely: $17,000 to launch marketing campaign and expand programs such as blacksmithing, ceramics, and birch bark canoe making.
• Finland Minnesota Historical Society, Finland: $5,000 to develop a heritage workshop.
• Grand Marais Art Colony, Grand Marais: $5,000 to launch a marketing campaign.
• Hibbing Foundation, Hibbing: $20,000 to develop a splash pad in a community park.
• Itasca County Historical Society, Grand Rapids: $9,000 to develop a veteran’s history project.
• Mesabi Musical Theatre, Quad Cities: $3,000 to add sets, props, special effects lighting and a sound system for the production of “Matilda The Musical.”
• North House Folk School, Grand Marais: $10,000 to add a Fish House classroom and dockside improvements.
• Olcott Park Brewfest, Virginia: $20,000 to add benches, garbage cans and signage to the historic Olcott Park Fountain renovation.
• Screen Porch Productions, Outing: $9,698 to add benches, message boards, planters, bike racks and a ball pit to outdoor public spaces.
• Tourist Center Senior Citizens, Hibbing: $15,000 to make roof and parking lot capital improvements.
• Tower Soudan Historical Society, Tower: $6,000 to restore a historic fire hall.
• Wild North Golf, Northeastern Minnesota: $5,000 to launch marketing campaign.

Does your community have a project that improves the region’s arts, culture or recreation? Learn more about the grant guidelines and application processes by clicking here. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation funds the Culture & Tourism grant program through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry. Email Danae Beaudette for details or call her at 218-735-3022.

An upcoming Business Development Lenders Forum aims to share information about the different loans and programs offered by Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation and its partners that can help support business development needs.

The forum will feature presentations by representatives from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, United States Department of Agriculture, Northland Foundation, Northspan, Arrowhead Regional Development Commission, Entrepreneur Fund, and Small Business Administration. 

When: Wednesday, June 19

Registration: 9 a.m. 

Forum: 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Where: Mountain Iron Community Center, 8586 Enterprise Drive South, Mountain Iron 

Breakfast pastries, lunch and beverages will be provided.

RSVP to Seth Dostal by Friday, June 14 at Seth.Dostal@state.mn.us or 218-735-3040.

Northern Minnesota businesses looking to grow their businesses with state and federal agencies have an opportunity to learn more about securing government contracts at a free training June 19 in Grand Rapids. This is the first of a series of “On the Road with Admin” events around Minnesota this summer and fall hosted by the Minnesota Department of Administration's Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) and the Office of Equity in Procurement (OEP).