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Developers Buy Final Two North Barstow Plots words by
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tom giffey
HERE COMES THE SUN
NEARLY TWO DECADES AFTER REDEVELOPMENT BEGAN IN THE ONCE-NEGLECTED NORTH BARSTOW STREET NEIGHBORHOOD, the final two parcels there owned by the city’s Redevelopment Authority have been sold. On July 20, the RDA’s board approved purchase agreements on two pieces of property: the northern half of Block 7, now a city parking lot, and the so-called “liner site remnant” next to the future Children’s Museum of Eau Claire. The Block 7 site was purchased by Eau Claire developer Geoff Moeding, who intends to build a five-story building with 111 to 115 apartments, underground parking, and a small amount of commercial space. Moeding was part of some of the first development projects in the neighborhood more than 10 years ago. The southern half of Block 7 was sold in May to Menomonie Market Food Co-op, which plans to build a new grocery store there. Meanwhile, Iowa-based Merge Urban development group has purchased the lot next to the future Children’s Museum. Merge’s plans also include a five-story building, with commercial space on the ground floor and 52 apartments above. Merge is also developing the five-story Andante apartment building which is rising on the other side of North Barstow. While purchase agreements were approved, the sales haven’t official closed, and still require City Council approval.
S U N C O U N T RY S E L E C T E D T O S E RV E E AU C L A I R E A I R P O R T words by
SUN COUNTRY AIRLINES WILL REPLACE SKYWEST as the commercial airline serving the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport in Eau Claire. The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Thursday that Sun Country, which is based in Minneapolis, had been selected to provide service to the Eau Claire airport. SkyWest, which currently provides daily flights to and from Chicago, informed the DOT in March that it wanted to stop serving Eau Claire, which it has flown to and from since 2010. This kicked off an application process from airlines wishing to fill the void. Two other airlines – Boutique Air and Southern Airways Express – also applied, and in May the Chippewa Valley Regional Airport Commission voted to recommend that the DOT pick Sun County. While an official start date hasn’t been established, it will likely
tom giffey
S K Y W E S T, W H I C H C U R R E N T LY P R O V I D E S D A I LY F L I G H T S T O AND FROM CHICAGO, S A I D I N M A R C H T H AT I T WA N T E D T O S T O P SERVING EAU CL AIRE . be in early December, according to a media release from the airport. The switch to Sun Country will mean an end to daily commercial flights to and from Eau Claire. According to the announcement, “Sun Country Airlines will provide two flights per week to the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and at least two flights per week seasonally to Ft. Myers, FL, Orlando, FL and Las Vegas, NV. The rotation of the seasonal hub will adjust based upon the time of year.” Service will be provided in 186seat Boing 737s. “The decision by the US DOT to select Sun Country Airlines to serve the region provides an exciting opportunity to work with an UltraLow-Cost Carrier that is already utilized by many area travelers,” said Charity Zich, the airport’s director. “We look forward to working with Sun Country and thank the Department for expediting their carrier selection process.” Sun Country currently flies 98 routes and serves 78 cities across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. Find out more online at chippewavalleyairport.com.
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Library Ready to Book It Back to Refreshed Digs B I G U P G R A D E S T O L . E . P H I L L I P S L I B R A R Y N E A R LY C O M P L E T E D
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www.VolumeOne.org
| JULY 28, 2022
AFTER MORE THAN A YEAR OF RENOVATION AND OPERATING OUT OF A TEMPORARY LOCATION, the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in downtown Eau Claire will reopen soon. The library announced in July that it would be back in business at 400 Eau Claire St. in earlier September following an $18.5 million renovation and addition project that started in May 2021. Highlights of the renovation include the addition of a third floor, which will include a new 200-seat community room and an all-new Innovation Lab with classroom-style spaces intended for a variety of events, workshops, and gatherings. Other changes include updated infrastructure for heating and cooling, the creation of expanded kids areas, a dedicated teen space, a tween space, additional meeting and study rooms, and much more. The project was funded by $11.5 million from the city of Eau Claire and $7 million from private donations. In preparation of the move back to its permanent home, the library will close its temporary location, 2725 Mall Drive, after Aug. 6. Digital library services will pause briefly Aug. 9-10, and a “soft” reopening will occur in early September. Grand reopening events will kick offer Sept. 26. Learn more online at www.ecpubliclibrary.info. –V1 staff