The Grand Marais may soon be home to a new downtown progression with a restaurant, short-term rentals, and an event center with a rooftop patio next to a 2020 fire that destroyed three businesses.
Members of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously supported the 30,000-square-foot progression at their assembly Wednesday. It is now being presented to the city council for possible approval.
The proposal includes a restaurant, bar and advertising area on the ground floor. The second plot would feature 10 short-term rental stages and an event center with a rooftop patio.
The proposed progression is on the site of a wind-driven chimney in 2020 that destroyed 3 downtown businesses, adding The Crooked Spoon restaurant. The empty masses are next to the iconic Sven and Ole pizzeria.
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“Here we have been given a smart operating concept on how we want to provide and bring to the Grand Marais a smart mix of businesses that we believe are needed after the 2020 fires,” developer Joel Saint John told the planning commission.
“We’ve spent three years acquiring the footprint,” said Saint John, who owns the Mayhew Hotel in Grand Marais, located the next block over from the proposed development on Wisconsin Street.
He said he and his wife had no outside investors and planned to live and work in the Grand Marais. “We’re excited to be more of a part of Netpaintings than we already are. “
The curators and the public spoke of the need for an event center.
“We’ve always talked about the need for an event center, gathering place in Grand Marais, we’ve never really had that. This might fill some of those needs, restaurant and other facilities to go along with it,” said Tim Kennedy, whose family owned a gift shop that was destroyed in the 2020 fire.
Commissioner Anton Moody said that during his 8 years at City Hall, officials discussed the need for a facility to hold weddings and other functions. But nothing ever happened.
“A giant component of the network that is missing after the fires. And I think I’m excited to see what’s going to happen,” Moody said, noting that he was glad the developers kept their project, which is estimated to be about 30,000 square meters in length. feet, within the city’s 30-foot height limits.
“Because that would be a very different conversation. “
Saint John said that while the main points of the project’s design will be subtle as it progresses, the combination of corporations and the overall concept are in place.
“We are very happy to give new life to this block where 4 years ago there were many victims. “
This story has been updated to reflect the estimated duration of the project.