In Duluth, Office Depot recently opened a 28,000 sf store in downtown Duluth, while Home Depot is building a 160,000 sf store with several outlets for additional development near Miller Hill Mall on the southwest corner of Central Entrance and Trinity Road, and is expected to be completed in February, according to Jim Mohn, senior planner for the city of Duluth. Nearby, Simon Property Group is adding a Barnes & Noble storeto the Miller Hill Mall.

In Mankato, a former K-Mart store is being redeveloped to handle several stores near Madison Avenue and Raintree Road, according to Jack Herrley, a Mankato development official. Also, Oppidan is developing a 65,480-sf Cub Foods and an adjacent 12,000-sf multi-tenant building. North American Properties is proposing a 400,000-sf shopping center on the southeast corner of Highway 22 and Madison Ave., which could be ready to open in March 2002.

In Waite Park, near St. Cloud, a 200,000-sf shopping center anchored by Home Depot is going up. Much of the new development has gone to Waite Park because St. Cloud has no available land with services and zoning, says Gerald Hengel, assistant planning director in St. Cloud.