Progress 2020 by Park Rapids Enterprise

Park Rapids Enterprise

Progress

1 Saturday, March 28, 2020

Hometown chic

Good Life Cafe expansion delivers contemporary comfort By Shannon Geisen sgeisen@ parkrapidsenterprise.com The good life just got better. The Good Life Cafe, that is. Owner Molly Luther purchased Al’s Paint & Glass from Jim and Sue Wothe, quadrupling the size of her downtown Park Rapids business. “The building we bought was 6,300 square feet, and we had about 2,000,” she said. The expansion allowed Luther’s other venture – Molly Poppin’s Gourmet Snacks – to move under the same roof as the eatery. After a six-week closure, the newly renovated space reopened in June 2019 with more seating, a bigger bar, a private dining room and a large kitchen. Where they used to seat 115, The Good Life Cafe now welcomes 165 guests, “plus our private dining room,” Luther said, which opened at the end of November 2019. The party room has been busy, she said. “It has been really nice for people – lots of different types of events. We seat about 60.” Holiday parties, family reunions, birthday parties, an improv group’s rehearsals and even a small wedding have transpired. “People have asked about doing plays in there and piano recitals,” Luther added. “It’s a very flexible space.” Luther and her husband, Luke, built the cafe with their own hands. While Molly served as general contractor on this remodel, Luke, a residential

Submitted photo

The Good Life Cafe expanded into the former Al’s Paint & Glass last summer, bringing Molly Poppin’s Gourmet Snacks into the neighboring space.

Even though it was arduous, it was fruitful. - MOLLY LUTHER, owner of The Good Life Cafe and Molly Poppin’s Gourmet Snacks carpenter by trade, was the main carpenter. “He did a great job,” Molly said. “I feel badly for our kids, though. I don’t think they saw the two of us in the same room for at least six weeks.” They worked with about 25 subcontractors, knocking down the 16-inch concrete walls between the two buildings, upgrading the water line, building a new roof and adding steel beams, among other things. “The city was wonderful to work with, all of the contractors, all the financial institutions,” Molly said. A great deal of planning and forethought went into the renovation. “Even though it was arduous, it was fruitful,” she said. The enlarged, state-ofthe-art kitchen added 10 feet of cooking line. “We just about doubled it,” Molly said, noting they rearranged the area to improve efficiency. The former outdoor patio at the rear of the restaurant was transformed into a walk-in cooler. A long panel of kitchen windows overlooks the dining area, providing light and brightness to the cooks. It’s entertaining for young customers as well.

Shannon Geisen/ Enterprise

Owner Molly Luther stands before the new electric fireplace. There is one on each side of the wall. “It just takes the chill off the windows,” she said of the comfy feature.

GOOD LIFE: Page 3

Meadow View workforce housing opens County HRA hopes to add second apartment building

Robin Fish/Enterprise

Hubbard County HRA’s Meadow View Apartments opened Jan. 1 off Career Path in Park Rapids. As of March 1, all but four of the 28 units were leased out. By Robin Fish rfish@arkrapids enterprise.com “Meadow View is filling up fast,” said Carolyn Pfeifer with the Hubbard County Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) in a March 2 interview. “We opened Jan. 1, and I’m down to four apartments left – two bedrooms. So, out of 28 units, filling up in a little over two months, it’s pretty good.” Pfeifer handles leasing and building management from her new office at the apartment building the HRA developed last year to serve the local workforce. The Meadow View apartments are located across Career Path from the Salvage Depot, at the east end of 16 donated acres stretching west to the Park Rapids

Walmart. The $2.2 million project was made possible by a $550,000 workforce housing development grant from Minnesota Housing. In-kind contributions toward the local share of the project cost included the HRA waiving its developer fees, city building official Brad Bail reducing his review and inspection fees, and a reduction of the city’s planning fees. “Workers have to have a place to live,” Park Rapids City Planner Andrew Mack said in a Feb. 19 interview. Due to the grant, he said, the HRA can offer lower rents than the market average without being subsidized as low-income housing. “A lot of these (tenants) don’t qualify for lowincome apartments, but they don’t make enough

to pay more than what they’re paying here,” said Pfeifer. “They’re in that gray area, the niche we’re trying to fill.” She described them as working families who find that market-rate rent “would just eat up too much of their paycheck. I feel we’re really hitting that market here.” Pfeifer said she believes most of them had to drive to work from out of town before finding homes at Meadow View, “which really works out for our businesses,” she said, “because if they have roots here, they’re more likely to stay in the job they have here – versus, if you commute, you get kind of tired of that commute after a while.” Regarding the tenants’ reception of the new apartments, Pfeifer said, “They’re all very happy

about it. They just fall determiner on whether in love with the building or not there’s really the when they see it.” need we’re predicting,” Thompson said. She Phase 2 The HRA’s experiment said she has heard from in affordable workforce other housing providers Meadow View’s housing has worked so that shows the well, they’re going to try success model fills a need felt it again. This January, Executive throughout Minnesota. Director Mary Thompson “I think people are with the Heartland really watching what Lakes Development happens here as a Commission submitted potential for replicating an application for a it around the state,” she second workforce housing said. “Most apartment development grant, buildings (take) six requesting $650,000 this months to fill. Our time to build a similar apartment building market study thought south of Meadow View. about four months to fill, The project’s working and we’re at two and just title is Meadow’s Edge. about full. So, I think we Thompson expects to were right on with the know by the end of March need and the value that whether the project will folks are getting from be funded. the place.” How fast the first phase filled up “is a big MEADOW VIEW: Page 4

Work begins on new Essentia HealthPark Rapids Clinic The clinic is currently under construction on State Hwy. 34 in the former Pamida store. According to a new release, a phased opening beginning in the fall of 2020 is expected, with a grand opening being announced to the community once all services and departments are transitioned into the new clinic. The remodeled space will be home to walk-in care, expanded therapy services, orthopedics, podiatry and additional specialty clinic exam and procedure space. Lab and radiology services will be offered in both current and new spaces. This new facility will allow Essentia Health to better accommodate growth in specialty and primary care, enabling people to receive care close to home, the news release said. Dr. Michele Thieman says, “This new clinic will allow us to keep healthcare local for our patients and offer more specialties and outreach services right here in Park Rapids.” Thieman adds, “Our patients are our number one priority and we’ll continue to work closely with the hospital to provide the best care for those we serve.”