urbanMSP

Some may not care about this small update, but for those who do: Kowalskis on Grand will be getting an addition very soon. It was supposed to happen last year but the City of St. Paul held off due to the "busy" exit ramp off Ayd Mill Road onto Grand behind the store. The store will be expanding in both the back and front. The back wall of the store will be extended out, which will force the city to fix up, and use the abandoned exit ramp off Ayd Mill which has been sitting there for years, and remove the outer ramp. The front of the store will be getting a wine shop, much like a few of the other Kowalskis have, and a seating area (finally). There MAY also be a starbucks, but that has not yet been confirmed. (Side note: Kowalskis has a deal with Starbucks, much like Lunds does with Carbou). There is no article I have been able to find proving this addition, but I work there part time and can confirm it will be happening. It has now been approved by the city, though I think corporate is still finalizing final plans/renderings of what it will look like. I also believe the new Excelsior store has pushed this project off until this year. I have seen some of the blueprints myself and it is a much needed addition for how busy the store is, as some of you who shop there may know. One negative I can think of is how the lots are already busy enough, and the front addition will be taking over some of the parking spaces.

I'll post more as I learn more, and of course anyone who is able to find any article of this should share it. I would imagine the Highland Villager would be the first to have an article seen as it includes Mac-Grove and Summit Hill in the paper.

I'd actually hoped they'd move to the corner and place their parking towards ayd mill.

I'd actually hoped they'd move to the corner and place their parking towards ayd mill.

While ideal, that would have been too much to hope for, I think.

I'm glad this is finally happening. I was starting to wonder why I hadn't heard anything about this in...a year? Something like that.

And if that ramp is "busy", I just...wow. I guess Snelling and Selby is basically Manhattan as rush hour.

Yeah, Selby and Snelling is awful at rush hour. I don't know why the city hasn't resurfaced the abandoned exit ramp at Ayd Mill and Grand that's been sitting there for years. If they resurface that ramp before needing to close down the curent one, there will be no closures. And it's kind of been an eye sore with jersey barriers.

You have to look at history to know that that entrance/exit was closed temporarily for an experiment that worked or failed depending on which side of the coin you are on. That action goes back to Mayor Mark Kelly. It was hotly contested at the time. Blasted by some neighborhoods and praised by other neighborhoods that saw a significant drop in auto traffic after the 35e and Ady connection was opened.
One has to remember that tearing something out cost a good deal of money that the city can use for more pressing needs. Until they make a long term decision on connecting Ady to 94, I see it pretty much staying as is incase they should have to reopen it temporarily for work on other entrance/exit that need to be reworked.

Randy Kelly

Randy Kelly

I stand corrected, must have had politics on my mind!

Or Astronauts on your mind? Although he is the husband of Gabby Giffords...

The excavation is finally complete and the wall is up behind the store. You can now see how far back it will be extended. Interior work will begin in March and the Starbucks and wine/liquor shop in the front will begin in Spring.

For lack of a better thread: http://www.twincities.com/2017/02/13/st ... -proposed/

I like it. Here's a link to the plans: http://macgrove.org/sites/default/files ... 0Plans.pdf

Kowalskis needs to develop that corner and just use the parking lot to the north.

Approved by the city planning commission.

http://finance-commerce.com/2017/03/mix ... rs-hurdle/