This is Fresh Seasons Market in Glen Lake. Grocer Dale Riley pointed out that the size of the Victoria parking lot is equal to the parking lot at the Lunds at 50th and France in Edina, which does twice the proejcted volume expected at the downtown Victoria store. PHOTO by Unsie Zuege

By Unsie Zuege

The city is one more step closer to gaining a downtown grocery
store.

Last Thursday evening the Victoria City Council, acting as the
Economic Development Authority (EDA), voted unanimously to assist in the
development of a downtown grocery store. The council voted 5-0 to donate the
city-owned property to the proposed grocery store project for a $1, and to
provide city assistance of $400,000 in TIF
and/or grant funding.

More than two dozen people attended the EDA meeting including
developer Tom Wartman and Fresh Seasons Market owner Dale Riley, former
president of Byerly’s. Riley’s first Fresh Seasons Market opened in Glen
Lake in 2005.

Three weeks ago, the city tore down the three homes on the
properties on Quamoclit. The developer has a purchase agreement on the
remaining home on the block, to make way for the 27,000 square foot grocery
store. Wartman also has a purchase agreement for the C.H. Carpenter property,
which would razed to provide parking for the store.

Councilor Jim Paulsen worried about parking and traffic off
Highway 5 and in downtown and asked City
Engineer Kara Gehren for her assessment. But Councilor Kim
Roden reminded Paulsen that the council was acting as the EDA
to address the TIF issue.

“We’ll get answers in a sequential order,” Roden said. “I feel
strongly about the proposal, about the desire in the community for this service
and drugstore … I’m comfortable that the traffic issues we can resolve, that we
do this to get to the next step. I’m in favor of this motion.”

Councilor Tim Amundsen said that the proposed store “is not a
convenience store; it is a convenient store. It’s incumbent of the people of Victoria
to support this. We’re spending your money because we hear loud and clear you
want this,” Amundsen said. “Once this thing is done, we’re going to have to
shop there.”

Downtown businesses support proposal

Members of the community spoke in support the proposed store and
the impact it would have on other downtown businesses.

Andrew Schultz of State Farm Insurance spoke on behalf of both
his business and for the Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

“This is the one and only opportunity for a grocery store
downtown,” Schultz said. “Looking at developer and the grocer and the site,
this is the prime opportunity to bring this store to downtown, and to bring the
traffic downtown. There are struggling businesses. We have a desire to have
people know downtown Victoria is
here. What better place for people to see what’s here, the music, the lakes,
the trails, to see all the things go on?”

Another business owner Brandon Wallis, School of the Wise
agreed.

“I need to see this business come,” Wallis said, “especially
businesses who rely on walk-in traffic. I
see this (Victoria) as the
next Chan, but it will takes those daily trips to the post office, and other
foot traffic. The big thing is a grocery store.

“Byerly’s came in (to Chanhassen) and that town exploded. For me
as a business owner, we need to see it happen. I think this is an opportunity. Keep
the focus on the downtown businesses.”

Mary Meuwissen owns the Creamery building property and plans to
redevelop that block with mixed use—retail, office, and housing,—later this
year. She sees the grocery store having a positive impact on her project as
well. She referred to feedback she received from the company that developed Calhoun
Square in Uptown Minneapolis.

“The thing they said was most important was a grocer, a post
office and a city hall, all downtown,” Meuwissen said. “All bring live bodies
downtown and allow the other businesses to be successful and to thrive.”

Meuwissen said that the TIF
analysis is based on current tax
capacity, “and we know taxes are going up. You’re agreeing to $400,000
but there’s going to be increased taxes every single year. If taxes held firm
today, it would still be an upside to the city.

“Fresh Seasons is exactly what we need,” Meuwissen said. “It’s
authentic, it’s small, it’s charming. If you tried to write a script, this
would be one of the top goals or dreams. The property has been in the city for
a long time even during the boom five years ago. The purpose of TIF
is to redevelop rundown property. And this will help other businesses in town.
Look at this as the Economic Development group, not as a city council.”

Terry Hartman, president of the Victoria Downtown Redevelopment
Committee and a downtown business owner agreed

“The grocery store is a
great use,” Hartman said. “It’s been a blighted area; now we have someone who
will come in with grocery store. It’s an appropriate thing for you to vote for,
to clean up the blight and energize the rest of downtown.”

For more comments from the developer and grocer, see the accompanying story "Grocer/Developer speak"