Extra Progress Report Stevens County

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The Stevens County Times

Saturday, February 24, 2018 1

Progress Report Stevens County

Brooke Kern / Stevens County Times

East Point Village rental complex was completed in 2017 on the site of the former elementary school in Morris.

East Point Village adds to housing options in Morris

By Rae Yost Stevens County Times The 61-unit East Point Village apartment complex on College Drive in Morris has met the goals of the investors, said Mike Stoebe of INH Properities of St. Cloud.

INH Properties manages the complex for East Point Village of Morris, the limited liability company that owns the complex.

“We are able to meet budget and deliver the product quality that was intended,” Stoebe said.

Before East Point Village was built, Stoebe told the then-Morris Sun Tribune, “This will establish a new high water mark for apartments in Morris.”

Stoebe compared it to when GrandStay opened a motel in Morris. The city already had motels but GrandStay raised the standard, Stoebe said.

The complex has onetwo-and three bedroom market-rent units.

Stoebe said the complex has a mixture of professional renters

from various manufacturers and businesses in the area as well as renters associated with the University of Minnesota Morris.

The occupancy should reach 95 to 100 percent by this spring, Stoebe said.

The complex was built with Tax Increment Financing which means the new taxes generated from the project are deferred for a certain number of years.

Stoebe said tools such as TIF are needed to encourage the con-

Brooke Kern / Stevens County Times

The front entrance to East Point Village which was completed in 2017. struction of a project such as East Point Village in rural cities like

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4 Atlantic Ave, Morris, MN 56267

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701 Atlantic Ave, Morris, MN 56267 (320) 589-1424 est. 1936

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Morris. TIF and similar tools help make it cost-effective for pri-

vate investors to develop such projects, Stoebe said.

American Eagle Realty

202 E 7th St, Morris, MN 56267

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25 W 7th St, Morris, MN 56267

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1 East Hwy. 28, Morris, MN 56267

170 S County Road 22, Morris (320) 589-3865 ecsofmorris.com

Extra Progress Report Stevens County

2 Saturday, February 24, 2018

BREMER BANK

DACOTAH BANK

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Bremer Bank provides a comprehensive range of banking, investment, trust and insurance services.

With decisions made locally, Bremer employees are empowered to act on your behalf to answer questions, address your financial needs and help you get more for

STEVENS COMMUNITY MEDICAL CENTER

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your hard-earned money.

Visit Bremer today at 701 Atlantic Avenue in Morris and meet with experienced professionals that are ready to help you plan for your future. We will take the time to understand your needs and provide tailored solutions to fit your life.

STEVENS COUNTY AMBULANCE

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Stevens County Ambulance Service and EMS Education is looking forward to 2018 as we continue to advance patient care, response capabilities and educational services. This year, our weekday crew is “in-house” during the day to ensure the quickest response possible to 911 calls in and around Stevens County, and inter-facility transfers from SCMC and other area hospitals. Our education programs continue to be busy, conducting 5 EMT classes this spring, EMT and EMR refresher courses, and ongoing CPR, First Aid, and AED. On February 10th, 2018 we’ll be welcoming EMS providers from across the Midwest to the 6th Annual Topics in EMS Medical Education Conference in Fergus Falls MN. Keynote presentations on the Las Vegas shooting, the Minnehaha Academy Explosion and First Responder Mental Health and Wellness. We also welcome cardiac arrest survivors and rescuers from across the state for our annual Survivor’s summit hosted by the Western MN SCAA. More information at www.TopicsinEMS.com, www.stevensems. com, or by calling 320-589-7421, 1-855-88-SAFETY.

The Stevens County Times

Dacotah Bank has dozens of hometown locations that provide banking, insurance, mortgage, and trust and wealth management services throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and adjacent states. The bank has assets that exceed $2 billion, making it one of the largest independent banks in the upper Midwest. Dacotah Bank employs nearly 600 people and serves over 60,000 customers. Considering the firm’s history and vision for the future, employees, stockholders, and customers alike are proud to say, “it’s good to be in Dacotah Territory!“ More information about the company’s history and services can be found at dacotahbank.com.

STEVENS COUNTY TIMES

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The Stevens County Times has been serving the community since 1876. Originally known as The Tribune, the newspaper combined with the Morris Sun in 1947. The Morris Sun Tribune and the Hancock Record combined in 2017 to become The Stevens County Times. The weekly newspaper serves residents of Stevens County with a Saturday newspaper along with our website, StevensCountyTimes.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Call or email us with your news tips or for your advertising needs. Ask about our Print to Digital program.

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Stevens Community Medical Center is a fully-integrated, 25-bed critical access hospital and healthcare facility with a Clinic open Monday-Friday and an Urgent Care Clinic open 7-days a week (no appointments needed).

Among the services offered are family medicine, O.B., dermatology, physical therapy, podiatry, surgery, dialysis, direct lab access, allergy/immunology, respiratory therapy, cardiac rehab, behavioral medicine, visiting and outreach specialists (ENT, Audiologist, Cardiologist and more.) There is a full-service eye clinic on-site with optometrist, and the Courage Cottage for home-care setting. SCMC has a state-of the-art surgical wing offering many surgical procedures from our skilled surgeons that have a vast area of surgical expertise. The SCMC Starbuck Clinic, open Monday-Friday (offering same-day appointments,) located in Starbuck, is staffed by a physician assistant, nurse practitioner and part-time family medicine physician. Stevens Community Medical Center strives to offer comprehensive medical systems that meet the patients’ needs in an atmosphere that promotes healing and comfort.

Construction workers level dirt in the fall after the demolition of several buildings in Hancock’s downtown. The buildings were demolished to create space for a proposed apartment project.

Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

MMCDC official says organization committed to downtown project

By Rae Yost Stevens County Times The original project plan may have changed for the developer is committed to a rental housing project in Hancock, Kevin Shipley, president of Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation, said in January.

MMCDC is spearhead-

ing a proposed rental project in Hancock’s downtown.

MMCDC received bids for a 12-unit apartment complex.

MMCDC rejected all bids that were opened on Sept. 19 because even the lowest bid was too high to make the project affordable, Shipley said. The lowest bid was

$600,000 over budget, Shipley said in an Oct. 7 story in the Stevens County Times.

Shipley has said MMCDC will revamp the project with the goal to start construction yet this year.

“We’re not abandoning the downtown project,” Shipley said.

Hancock Economic

Development Authority members and council members Annette Kratz and Bruce Malo said at a Feb. 12 council meeting that MMCDC may have a new design in a month or two.

An MMCDC representative told the HEDA that the project plan could be for townhomes or similar style rental housing.

MMCDC is a partner of Community Development Bank in Hancock. MMCDC is a private nonprofit company providing commercial and home mortgage lending, as well as housing, business and community development services throughout Minnesota and the Midwest, its website said.

The proposed apartment project also includes the city of Hancock and Stevens County.

The two public entities were instrumental in the demolition of severals buildings to create space for an apartment project.

The demolished buildings were in poor condition, city and other officials said.

The Stevens County Times

Extra Progress Report Stevens County

PEDERSON FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICE

PRAIRIE RENAISSANCE CULTURAL ALLIANCE (PRCA)

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Pedersen Funeral & Cremation Service in Morris has recently completed several updates to the interior spaces of the funeral home. New carpet and furniture, fresh paint and updated décor create a warm and welcoming place for families to come together to honor their loved ones.

“We had been planning these updates since last fall, and we’re happy to announce that everything is now finished.

Our community has been so supportive of us and we have local businesses and contractors that were wonderful to work with to complete the project: Kirby Wilcox (painting), Unger’s Furniture (carpeting and furniture) and Daly’s Electric,” said Shane Decker, funeral director.

“Our goal is to provide a place of comfort where families can focus on the moments of sharing and support during their time of loss,” said Decker. “We are very grateful for the opportunity to do that for our communities and the surrounding area.”

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Art is an ever-moving experience as shown by the Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance (PRCA), which recently changed the name of its downtown Atlantic Avenue gallery to Prairie Arts and Gifts. With the name change comes a remodeling of sorts, and a makeover from the offering of area artists to the display. Every six weeks

ENVIRONMENT CONTROL SYSTEMS OF MORRIS

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Environment Control Systems of Morris, Inc. is proud to be celebrating 40 years of serving our community, building hog barns and providing innovative solutions for hog farmers. Started by Jim Nordquist out of his home in 1978 and currently run by Mike Nordquist, ECS is bringing quality service to our local farmers. In addition to building barns, we can also help with remodeling, provide service parts, ventilation programming or service calls for repairs. It’s all part of our comprehensive solutions to help make the lives of hog farmers in our community better.

Federated Telephone finds room in new location

By Rae Yost Stevens County Times Federated Telephone Company of Morris outgrew its space on Atlantic Avenue in the city’s downtown.. When it found a new location, it needed to revamp that space to accommodate its growth.

The company provides technology service to the region including internet, TV and others. It moved to the former Valu Ford dealership building on Atlantic Avenue in Morris in the fall of 2017 Federated general manager Kevin Beyer said the company investigated several options in Morris and Chokio, including building a new facility. The cost of building a new facility prompted the company to pursue making changes in an existing facility, Beyer said.

Beyer said the move was at least a million-dollar investment by the company, a move spurred by a roughly $22 million investment in expanding the company’s service territory.

Federated has received one state and one federal Border to Border grants since 2015. Those grants, along with the company’s own investment and loans account for the $22 million investment in service territory expansion, Beyer said.

The service territory expansion meant add-

new works are hanged on the gallery walls, accompanied with meet-the-artist receptions. Also featured are adult and children’s arts classes, poetry readings and other events. Volunteers “man” the unique, home-grown art in the gift shop, so stop in and see what’s new. Currently on display is the work of Morris-based artist, Sarah Eckel.

ing employees and it was obvious a location change was needed.

“We knew we wouldn’t fit in our existing location,” Beyer said.

Federated has 26 employees.

“We outgrew our old location,” said Donna Eul, marketing and CRS manager at Federated.

“We had employees sitting at desks in our break room.”

Although the former Valu Ford building provided needed space, the company still needed to revamp it and expand it.

“I think it’s been a huge transformation,” Eul said. “We basically gutted the building to fit (our needs).”

Employees have an improved work space which fosters greater productivity and efficiency, Eul said.

Customers benefit from that improvement but also from the physical improvement in the new location, Eul said.

Federated now has a large parking lot with good access to a customer payment drop-off box.

It was difficult for customers and even employees to find parking in the downtown, Eul said.

“It was hard for customers to get in and out,” Eul said of the downtown location.

“The drive- up box is used I can’t tell you how many times each day,” Eul said. “It’s a huge asset.”

Above: Kevin Beyer, general manager at Federated Telephone Company, talks to guests during an October open house at the company’s new location in the former Valu Ford building.

Rae Yost / Stevens County Times

Right: A contractor installs a sign at Federated Telephone’s new location in June in Morris.

Brooke Kern / Stevens County Times

Saturday, February 24, 2018 3

VALU FORD & CHRYSLER

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Striving to better serve you; Valu Ford & Chrysler sales and service have grown! Jim Rentz of Morris began his role as General Manager in April, bringing with him years of managerial experience and a passion to engage with and serve our thriving community. A friendly, familiar face at the dealership, Michael Bowers, has transitioned to our service team as Service Manager. We are thrilled with the expansion of our service department and the new faces that have joined the community with the addition of five experienced, trained and certified technicians. To exceed your service expectations and accommodate your busy schedules, we have expanded our hours, added new equipment, and technology! The service department is now open 7a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Friday and on Saturday, from 7a.m. to 4 p.m. Scheduling appointments has never been easier with our new online scheduling feature on our website, valuford.com.-We’ve Got Your Back!

4 Saturday, February 24, 2018

Extra Progress Report Stevens County

The Stevens County Times

O’Reilly Auto Parts, Verizon and Dollar Tree are the three retailers located in Atlantic Plaza, the former Coborn’s grocer store building.

Investor revamps Coborn’s building

By Rae Yost Stevens County Times A building that had been vacant since October of 2009 was transformed in 2017.

Investor Mitchol Pappan and his business MSCP Development LLC of Pennsylvania bought the former Coborn’s grocery store on Minnesota Highway 28 next to McDonald’s. The building has been improved Photos by Rae Yost / Stevens County Times and has been given the The sign along the highway for Atlantic Plaza in Morris. new name of Atlantic Atlantic Plaza is in the former Coborn’s grocery store Plaza.

The grocery store had building.

opened in 1996 and closed at the end of October in 2009. A company spokesman said in a July 2009 story in the Morris Sun Tribune said the grocery store closed because of the current economic climate and slow growth of the Morrris area.

Pappan said in a May 2017 story in the Morris Sun Tribune that the building’s location had potential.

“The location is great.

It’s right next to a McDonalds. A new hotel

1898

“It’s nice to know the property is cleaner and looking good,” Stevens County Economic Improvement Commission director Cheryl Kuhn said.

The chain link fence surrounded the property for several years.

One of Pappan’s first construction actions was to remove that chain link fence.

Kuhn said several local residents have commented on how much better the property looks now.

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209 State Hwy 9, Morris, MN 56267

607 Pacific Ave., Morris, MN 56267

Serving you since

was just built (nearby), a car dealership (is) across the road. It’s in a high traffic area, Pappan said in the newspaper story.

The building now houses a Verizon store, O’Reilly’s Auto Parts and Dollar Tree.

“It wasn’t just filled it was remodeled,” city manager Blaine Hill said of the former grocery store.

“The value of the property went up,” Hill said. The new retailers also mean more employees in Morris, Hill said.

(320) 589-7421

320-589-2525

615 Atlantic Ave Morris, MN 56267 (320) 589-0300

www.stevenscountytimes.com

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400 E 1st St, Morris, MN 56267 (320) 589-1313

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SHEAR DESIGNS

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