One of Grand Forks' main commercial corridors will be home to a few new businesses in the coming weeks.
Workers at Panera Bread were putting the finishing touches on the restaurant this week ahead of its tentative early October opening date. The St. Louis-based chain has about 1,700 locations in 44 states and Canada, but the site at 2515 32nd Ave. S. will be one of the first in North Dakota. Another will open Sept. 23 in Fargo, according to a Panera spokeswoman.
Panera will replace the Taco Bell building, which was demolished.
Meanwhile, Hobby Lobby plans to open its 55,000-square-foot building next to Ashley Furniture on the 3100 block on Oct. 11, according to the company's website. The home décor and craft store is the largest piece of new construction under way on the commercial strip.
Citizens Community Credit Union plans on constructing a 6,400-square-foot building on the 3300 block of 32nd. Bank officials didn't return a call seeking comment on when the building might be completed.
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Unknown plans
While some new businesses start to take shape, the future is somewhat unclear for other lots.
After closing in November, the Space Aliens restaurant remains vacant. A representative for the group that owns the property wasn't available for comment.
Construction at the former Golden Corral building should finish up by the end of October, according to the building's owner, Tim Christian. But what businesses would occupy the future strip mall has not been announced.
Christian hinted that "a couple of restaurants" were interested in the space, which could hold up to five tenants once a 2,600-square-foot addition is added to the building. He anticipates the building, dubbed the Southview Retail Center, would hold a mix of businesses and restaurants.
While plenty of new construction is in the works, the city's senior planner Ryan Brooks said there are still undeveloped lots in the area. That includes a large piece of land west of Slumberland Furniture and a couple of lots next to Texas Roadhouse and the former Space Aliens.
"Otherwise, everything along that stretch is basically accounted for already," Brooks said.
Call Hageman at (701) 780-1244; (800) 477-6572, ext. 1244; or send email to jhageman@gfherald.com . Follow him on Twitter @jhageman.
