St. Michael declares Shop Small Week, talks Jamison Avenue Corridor

The St. Michael City Council declared Shop Small Week and approved a feasibility report for the Jamison Avenue Corridor extension at its meeting on Oct. 27.

Discover STMA

The City Council approved a resolution proclaiming Nov. 23-28 as Shop Small Week.

The resolution was brought forward by Discover STMA, which is an organization that promotes local businesses in the St. Michael-Albertville area.

President of Discover STMA Courtney Wiest said local businesses would receive Shop Small success kits if they registered, and they would receive ideas of how they could promote their businesses.

She also said Discover STMA would use a “pop-up” method to help businesses without physical locations advertise their services.

“Want to make sure all businesses in the community have the opportunity to participate, even if they don’t have a brick and mortar spot,” Wiest said.

She said that businesses with enough space would host other businesses to do pop-up shops.

“If we get a lot and they don’t have anywhere to go, we will find a space,” Wiest said.

Another item Discover STMA is planning is to host a window-decorating contest for businesses with a prize, Wiest said.

As for customers, Wiest said Discover STMA will have an interactive map with all businesses participating, categorized by day and event.

“The goal is for the community to be able to plot out where to go and get the best out of Shop Small Week and shopping local,” Wiest said.

Jamison Avenue Corridor and utility extension

The council also approved a resolution accepting a feasibility report from WSB for the Jamison Avenue Corridor and utility extension project.

The project would construct a two-lane road with utilities between County Road 119 and Highway 35.

Bill Alms, project manager with WSB said the project would help prepare the area for future development.

The feasibility report identified three phases: phase 1 would be lead by the city and would be basic construction of the roadway.

Phases 2 and 3 would be developer-driven and would depend on when the area is developed. Phase three would include a roundabout at County Road 119.

Alms said that city-led construction would begin in 2028. If the city were to continue with the project, the next step would be completing an environmental action worksheet, which would take 9-12 months.

The Grove final plat

Next, the City Council approved The Grove final plat, which replats the area in 11 St. Michael Parkway.

Community Development Director Marc Weigle said the former Homegrown restaurant building shared a lot with a parking lot and the owner proposed building a two-story building on an adjacent parcel. The replatting would place the parking lot with the proposed two-story building.

Owner Ellie Anderson said she wanted to eventually lease and sell the Homegrown restaurant building.

“Our priority right now is not to sell it, but make the campus make sense,” Anderson said.

She said that she wanted to move her current business into the top of the proposed two-story building.

The council’s approval of the final plat was contingent on construction finance being in place and the project being improved by the economic development authority.

The next St. Michael City Council meeting is at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at St. Michael City Hall.