I am sure most of you have seen the digging and spreading of dirt as you come into Wanamingo from the east. And if you have been hearing the news, you will know it is the newest retail store in Wanamingo, Dollar General. I gave a brief history of Dollar General in last month's edition, when the Kenyon store opened. Now it is Wanamingo's turn.
It is interesting to me how a difference of 10 miles can make a difference in people's attitudes toward this store. In Kenyon, people had signs in their yards saying NO to the DG moving in. In Wanamingo, most of what I hear is positive. When I started thinking about that fact, I realised it is because Wanamingo no longer has retail stores like a grocery store or a hardware store, and DG will offer things that we can no longer get in our own town. Kenyon on the other hand does have these things, and the people who own them will most likely see a slight decrease in sales. Maybe, and maybe not. In a small town there is more loyalty to the stores that are already there, so let's keep our fingers crossed that both these stores will offer some relief in having to go out of town to get the things we need.
We heard over a year ago that this was going to happen.....and then that it was not to be. Michael Boulton was kind enough to explain what has been going on to bring us to where we are now. His explanation fills in the gaps, so I posted it here so there are no questions.
The City worked with developers for Dollar General in 2023/2024 with the project falling through due to the developer pulling the plug for a variety of reasons and excuses. There were several site locations discussed. The previous agreed upon location was along the north side of MN TH 60 in the undeveloped field. There were significant costs involved with roadway and utility improvements. These were needed for the proposed project and to accommodate future growth and expansion that the City had agreed to a significant contribution. Dollar General has since parted ways with the previous developer.
The City has been working with a new developer, NATCON Group, Inc., for Dollar General since the beginning of 2025. NATCON Group, Inc. focused back on the old 60 Stop location (677 3rd Avenue) owned by Ag Partners. This site is on the northeast corner of MN TH 60 and 3rd Avenue intersection. The site went through MPCA Petroleum Remediation Program after the fuel tanks were removed. There were no high levels of contamination from the previous fuel tanks. Ag Partners, the MCPA, and the City have copies of the sire closure, monitoring, and final investigative report showing no major issues.
The site is considered buildable without a need for roadway and utility improvements. The water service line is in the northwest corner (and option of new service connection on the south side of parcel) of the parcel while the sewer service line is on the northeast corner of the lot (and option of new service connection on the south side of the parcel to main). There should be sufficient access with the proposed driveway being up against the northwest corner of the parcel along 3rd Avenue.
NATCON Group, Inc. took out building permit #25-W-035 for a 9,100 square foot building (130’ x 70’), concrete parking lot and stormwater pond. The permit is valued at $956,000. This should bring roughly $20,000/year in City property taxes. The Council will be considering formal approval of the building permit at the August City Council meeting. The City engineer reviewed the plans with comments on water/sewer service connections and recommendation for a stormwater maintenance agreement. The stormwater pond would be located in the southwest corner of the parcel. There would be an outlet along the southeast corner of the parcel along the MN TH 60 ditch. The City staff worked with the City Attorney to put together the proposed stormwater maintenance agreement. The agreement will be considered for approval at the August Wanamingo City Council meeting.
As we now know, the project has been approved, and we have the last Dollar General of the year being built right here. The store intends to be open sometime in November. Be watching for the Grand Opening article in one of the November editions of this paper!
