A rumor that began last summer seems to be coming true. Dollar General, the nation’s largest retail chain (by number of stores) is looking at building on property zoned for retail sales adjacent to the former Harbor Light Restaurant in Grand Marais.
Richard J. Knight, an attorney living in Appleton, Wisconsin registered the DGI-Grand Marais LLC trademark name on December 7, 2015. Additionally, the land next to Harbor Light has been surveyed to see if a 7,000- to 10,000-square-foot store would fit. A minimum of 45 parking spaces must also be planned for.
To date, Dollar General or Richard Knight has not applied for a building permit for the property.
“I haven’t received any applications or received a request for a land use permit,” said City Administrator Mike Roth, who added he has talked with representatives of the company but hasn’t heard back from them.
A move to Grand Marais would appear to follow the company’s plan. Dollar General is opening a store in Silver Bay near AmericInn and planning another store in Floodwood. It also has locations in Ely, Aurora, Duluth, across the Iron Range and throughout Minnesota.
With national retail sales of $18 to $19 billion, Dollar General is a giant in the bargain retail market, selling a range of household goods, beauty products, groceries, over-thecounter medicines and more. As of October 30, 2015, Dollar General operated 12,396 stores in 43 states, a growth of 900 stores (and three more states) over what it had January 1, 2015.
Typically Dollar General stores are open seven days from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and average $1.5 million in annual sales.
Dollar General signs a 10-year lease on a building owned by an investor, so if the business doesn’t materialize, the company leaves, which troubles some in the Grand Marais business community.
“I’m very concerned about Dollar General coming into our area,” said Hal Greenwood, a board member of the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA). “Normally I am in favor of new business coming into our county, but I’m not so sure about this one.
“I also have environmental concerns about the land they are looking at developing and I am doing some research to see if this will be fair competition for our other stores in town. People have to realize, all of the money they make will go back to their corporate headquarters in Tennessee,” said Greenwood.
Pat Campanaro, a UMD Small Business Development Center (SBDC) representative who works with the Cook County/Grand Marais EDA and with local entrepreneurs and business owners, said she has mixed feelings about seeing a national retailer coming to Grand Marais.
“On the one hand they are looking at locating where the town’s business plan would like them to locate. On the other hand, if they decide to come here, they will be taking down trees and putting up whatever kind of building they want to put up. Will it fit our area? We will see. With our zoning laws there is no way to stop them.
“They will also be adding jobs to the local economy. I have to say that I am torn about this decision,” said Campanaro.
Neither Richard Knight nor officials from Dollar General returned phone calls to respond to News- Herald questions at press time. But it appears that for now, the process to bring a Dollar General store to Cook County will continue.
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