PAGE 6 | INNOVATION 2021
Wayne Enterprises revamps old Sunmart
INNOVATION
UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Extensive construction and updating projects are well underway as the location prepares for Cornerstone Cabinets & Countertops and Midwest Bevel Edge to move into the former Sunmart building.. Additional space is also available .
By James Allen Innovation
Positive developments are taking place at the former Sunmart grocery store location at 1205 W. Lincoln Ave., in Fergus Falls. Wayne Enterprises owner, Mike Thorson, whose firm is doing the redevelopment work, has announced two businesses that have already signed leases — Cornerstone Cabinets & Countertops and Midwest Bevel Edge. Thorson said Cornerstone Cabinets & Countertops is moving their production and offices along an expanded showroom into the new space by mid-October. Work on the expanded showroom and public space will continue through the end of the year. The business is planning for a grand opening event in the early part of 2022. The new production space is over twice as large as the current facilities and the showroom is a fourfold increase allowing Cornerstone to grow into the future. Another local business, Midwest Bevel Edge, is plan-
ning to move into a new space on the property in the first part of November. The move onto the property will provide the business with twice as much production floor space as they currently occupy. According to Thorson, the individual tenant buildouts for Cornerstone and Midwest will include shop spaces, offices, restrooms, showrooms and community spaces tailored to their needs. “We are still seeking new tenants for the remainder of the building,” Thorson explained. “We have been in conversation with many local businesses — some startups as well as businesses from outside the Fergus Falls area are looking for commercial space. These range from small to medium-light manufacturers, health care, retail, entertainment and more. With great visibility, easy access, flexible space and existing infrastructure, this site is perfect for a multitude of business ventures.” Thorson added that the biggest eye-catching work that is being done is updating the exterior of the building. After years of neglect, the facade is getting new doors, stucco patching and trim, lighting, signage, landscaping and a fresh coat of paint that he emphasizes
will really make the building “pop”. However, the majority of the work has been going on inside the building — upgrading the building for its next life as a commercial center as well as the previously mentioned build-outs for Cornerstone Cabinets & Countertops and Midwest Bevel Edge. Thorson said that overall the project is making great time and he is very excited in anticipation of the final product. He said whole building upgrades will include updating electrical systems, increasing plumbing capacity and bringing in commercial-grade fiber-optic phone and internet services. These uprades will make the space “plug-and-play” ready for all future tenants. The building is 54,000 square feet, with approximately 38,000 square feett of build-out. The Fergus Falls City Council also granted a conditional-use permit to expand eligible uses. Grocery distributor and retailer SpartanNash previously owned and operated the building until the store’s closure vacated the building in July 2018. Updates on the project are available at facebook.com/ WayneEnterprisesDevelopment.
