Premiere Theatres in Cloquet is getting a face lift. So is the adjacent liquor store, Cold One Liquor, which will also double in size, from 4,000 to 8,000 square feet by the end of the year.
The construction, slated to begin Aug. 1, is the first phase of creating Stowell Shopping Center, a project that's been in the works for several years.
Eugene Stowell, who owns the theater and liquor store, bought adjacent land last year which was undeveloped except for a house. After asbestos removal, the house was taken down in a controlled burn, and now the land is ready for development, according to Stowell.
"We hope to have phase one completed in November," he said.
Phase one includes a new facade for the theater, which Stowell has owned since 1989. Cold One, which opened in 2004, will get a new facade and twice as much space. The parking lot will also be resurfaced in blacktop as part of the work and will likely be completed by September.
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Phase two of the project allows for a strip mall addition of between 15,000-20,000 square feet on the north side of the liquor store. The addition would be great for clothing stores or other retail, according to Stowell.
"Wal-Mart brings a lot of business into Cloquet," he said. "The rest of the community should capitalize on that."
About 13,000 square feet on the south side of the theater is also available for future development.
Stowell has worked with the city of Cloquet, Carlton County and the state of Minnesota to bring the project to fruition. Duluth firm DSGW designed the building and Oscar J. Boldt Construction of Cloquet will build the new facility.
Premiere Theatres and Cold One Liquor will remain open during construction.
For more information about the project, contact Eugene Stowell at (218) 879-5757 or (218) 390-5483.
