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Hutchinson updates: Jorgensson Hotel delayed; new restaurants, retail and lab testing jobs coming
Summary
Economic development director Miles Sele reported a short delay to the Jorgensson Hotel after an MPCA inspection, a new Thai restaurant and retail openings this summer, exterior work at Riverhouse and The Landing, site work at North Maple Apartments, and an Enterprise Center lab that will add initial lab jobs.
Miles Sele, Hutchinson’s economic development director, gave a run-down of local commercial and construction activity, saying several projects are moving forward this spring and summer despite some schedule changes.
Sele said the Jorgensson Hotel project was delayed from late April to the first week of May after the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency inspected the site and requested additional work; demolition permits are complete and a high-reach excavator is expected, and Sele warned that Washington Avenue and two lanes of Highway 15 will be temporarily closed and the alley behind the building will be shut while initial work proceeds. He estimated the early construction/demolition phase would take about a month to a month and a half.
On downtown retail and restaurants, Sele said a Thai restaurant (possibly with a sushi bar) plans to occupy the former Zella's location; the owners are opening in St. Cloud first and hope to open the Hutchinson location by mid-summer. He also reported Riverhouse is adding siding on its south side.
Sele said The Landing project will see a contractor on site in May to excavate a stormwater retention pond, remove an old boat landing, and add new curb and gutter; he said substantial exterior stonework is already underway and significant progress is expected over the next several weeks.
At the former Burns Manor site, Sele said North Maple Apartments has been cleared and contractors are on site, with earth-moving to begin when conditions permit. He added a new variety-store retailer is expected at the Hutchinson Shopping Mall in summer (name not disclosed yet), and that Dairy Queen is undergoing interior and exterior remodeling including a new corner tower and updated signage.
Sele announced that Dr. Cheryl Norman has been named the new president of Ridgewater College and will start July 1; she comes from Central Lakes College where she was vice president of academic and student affairs. Sele also noted a Sherwin-Williams store recently opened on the south end of town and that Guiding Light Early Learning Center has open slots (roughly 30 remaining) for children.
Finally, Sele said a laboratory testing company that tests cannabis products is setting up at the Enterprise Center and expects eight to nine initial jobs and roughly two dozen jobs over a couple of years; he said the Enterprise Center is now fully leased.
Sele closed the segment inviting listeners to contact his office for more information and to watch the forthcoming housing segment for a deeper examination of local housing needs.
