Feb. 5, 2020
Hobby Lobby at Thunderbird Mall in Virginia opened last week in the former Herberger’s site, creating 50,000 square feet of redeveloped retail space. The Virginia store is Hobby Lobby’s 20th location in Minnesota and joins more than 850 stores across the nation. It offers over 70,000 arts and crafts, hobby, fabric, party supply, furniture, home décor, holiday and seasonal products.
Founded in 1972 and headquartered in Oklahoma, Hobby Lobby is the largest privately owned arts and crafts retailer in the world with over 43,000 employees and operating in 46 states. Husband and wife owners David and Barbara Green began the company with a $600 loan and first operated it out of their home. It is included in Forbes’ annual list of America's largest private companies, continues to show steady growth, achieves approximately $5 billion in annual sales and carries no long-term debt.
“Our company is so excited to be a part of the Virginia community and offer people an exceptional selection of products at a great value,” said Tim Green, Hobby Lobby Virginia store manager. “I am honored to lead this new store and our employees. We will work hard to deliver great service and help our customers live a creative life®”
The Virginia store is part of a larger retail transformation which began five years ago when Texas-based RockStep Capital purchased the struggling Thunderbird Mall with the goal of bringing investor capital to the property. Demolition and renovation of a portion of the former Kmart building and parking lot made way for the addition of new national tenants including Caribou Coffee & Einstein Bagels, Verizon Wireless, Tractor Supply Company and ALDI. RockStep said the redevelopment was critical to stabilizing the property and validating the market for other potential national and regional tenants.
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The mall revitalization is locally led by Jody Vest, RockStep’s director of mall management and long-time Virginia mall property manager. Vest supervises the daily operations and financial management of Thunderbird and RockStep’s other enclosed mall properties. She plays a key role in helping the malls adapt and achieve financial health in an era of robust retail change.
According to RockStep the redevelopment project created demolition, construction, part time and full time jobs, and is increasing the city of Virginia and St. Louis County tax bases.
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Hobby Lobby in Virginia is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed on Sunday.
Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation supported the mall transformation project with Commercial Redevelopment grants. According to Rockport CEO Andy Weiner, the redevelopment could not have happened without this financial support.
Email Chris Ismil for grant information or call him at 218-735-3010.
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Breitung Township remodeled and expanded its community and essential services complex. The facility houses a post office; police, fire and rescue departments; public maintenance services; and, a town hall/community center. The township put forth the bulk of the funds, and Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation provided a Community Infrastructure grant to help pay for infrastructure and ADA compliant features.
Breitung Township is larger than many other townships. It is 38.9 square miles including 23.1 miles of land and 15.8 miles of water. It is also home to Minnesota’s new Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park. Breitung encompasses the community of Soudan, surrounding rural areas and Lake Vermilion. The township has approximately 600 year-round residents with a rapidly growing number of seasonal residents and tourists due to the new state park.
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“The increase in residents and tourists strengthens our economy and community, and it increases the demand for township services” said Tim Tomsich, Breitung Township chairman. “The renovation enables us to quickly respond during emergencies, and it created a dedicated space for the community center which was previously shared with fire trucks and other equipment.”
Breitung Township is contracted to provide police services to the city of Tower, and its fire department has mutual aid agreements for Tower and the townships of Eagles Nest, Greenwood, Vermilion Lake and Kugler. Breitung also collaborates with Minnesota’s Department of Natural Resources to house its state park equipment in the renovated facility.
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“One of our agency’s goals is to help communities invest in their foundational and social assets,” said Mark Phillips, Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation commissioner. “Breitung carefully planned for the renovation and funded the majority of the project. We were happy to provide the gap funding and support a project that prepares a community in our service area for its future.”
For Community Infrastructure grant information email Chris Ismil or call him at 218-735-3010.
Pictured above:
Top: Exterior view of Breitung Community Center.
Middle: Tim Tomsich, chairman, Township of Breitung; State Rep. Rob Ecklund; Chuck Tekautz and Greg Dostert, supervisors, Township of Breitung; and Mark Phillips, commissioner, Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation, are pictured at the Breitung Township open house on Jan. 24.
Bottom: Interior view of the Breitung Fire and Rescue building.
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 The Two Harbors Curling Club is maintaining its ice surface this winter with a new walk-behind ice scraper, offering its 140 members and visitors an enhanced winter recreation experience on the North Shore.
The club hosts four annual bonspiels that each draw between 80 and 120 curlers, two-thirds of whom are from outside the region and give an economic boost to the hotels, restaurants and retailors. According to the Two Harbors Chamber of Commerce, the club is a vital economic driver to the local winter economy.
“Our existing ice scraper was obsolete and posed safety issues due to its weight, outdated mechanicals and technical limitations.” said Chris Camper, curling club board member. “The weight and cumbersome nature of the old machine was a safety and logistical barrier to our volunteers who donate their time to maintain the ice.”
The curling club staff is comprised of volunteers who have a common shared goal of introducing people to the sport of curling. The club hosts adult and youth leagues, as well as physical education classes for the Silver Bay and Two Harbors public schools in which an average of 100 children participate per year school year.
Two Harbors Curling Club originated as the Two Harbors Jaycees Curling Club in 1963 when the DM&IR Railway gave permission to a group of curlers to flood the floor of its storehouse building. A year later the club built its own building and by 1968 added an artificial ice plant.
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In 1970 the club brought home its first state championship. The building was destroyed by a fire in 1991, and one year later the club constructed a new facility connected to the city’s municipal golf course clubhouse. The facility is utilized year round for winter and summer recreation and attracts guests from Duluth, Superior, Finland, Silver Bay and Two Harbors.
This project was supported by a Culture & Tourism grant from Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry. Email Danae Beaudette for grant information or call her at 218-735-3022.
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Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation invests resources to foster vibrant growth and economic prosperity in northeastern Minnesota. The Culture & Tourism grant program will accept applications March 2-31, 2020. The program assists nonprofits by supporting strong arts, culture, heritage and recreational activities that enhance the quality of life and economy.
Past project examples include:
- Splash pad in two community parks: Hibbing, Deerwood. (Pictured is the Deerwood splash pad.)
- Veteran’s history project: Itasca County.
- Wheel park: Ely. (Pictured below.)
- Native American cultural programming at sled dog marathon: Grand Marais/North Shore.
- Capital improvements to Finnish homestead museum: Embarrass.
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We encourage eligible applicants in our service area to apply. Click here to learn more and view the grant guidelines. Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation funds its grants programs through taxes paid by Minnesota’s mining industry.
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