The Blaine City Council approved a new plat for the northwest corner of Highway 65 and 109th Avenue (north of the vacant gas station). This plat includes a lot for a new 46,000 square foot Best Buy store. Also planned for this site is a 7,150 square foot multi-tenant retail building and one outlot. Best Buy will build this new store to capture the fast growing market in Blaine. Best Buy informed the City that it will keep their existing Northtown Mall store open. The former Antique Mall and the adjacent office building will be demolished to make room for this new commercial development.

Lowe's to Open Store in Blaine

Lowe’s has started construction on a new 170,000 square foot store and garden center to be located on the southwest corner of Highway 65 at 117th Avenue. Currently Lowe’s has Minnesota locations in Coon Rapids, Plymouth and Shakopee. The store is expected to open in February 2007.

Construction Starts on a New Medical Clinic

Blaine Medical Center started construction on a new 84,000 square foot, two-story medical clinic located on the northwest corner of Highway 65 and 117th Avenue. The clinic is scheduled to open in May 2007 and will replace their existing facility at 12175 Aberdeen Street.

Blaine Brothers Nearing Completion
of New Headquarters

Blaine Brothers, a service business for the trucking industry, is building a new facility at 101st Avenue and Radisson Road. This 18 acre site will accommodate their new 46,000 square foot building. Blaine Brothers is relocating their existing facility from the North Star Industrial Park on 82nd Lane. Their current property is part of the Medtronic CRM campus development that is currently under construction. Blaine Brothers had outgrown their previous site and this move gives them the opportunity to expand their operations. They currently employ 80 people and expect to be open November 1st.

County Road J Bridge Over 35W
to Close Until June 2007

Shortly after September 14 the County Road J bridge over 35W will be closed until June, 2007 as part of the road reconstruction. The bridge is being widened to accommodate the growing traffic along this corridor. Watch the BlaineBiz.com web site for more information. To cross over 35W, traffic will be directed over the 95th Avenue bridge. Watch for posted detours.

City of Blaine Offers
Project Management Course

The City of Blaine is sponsoring the Essentials of Project Management program, a series of six hands-on workshops teaching fundamental skills to help individuals successfully execute projects from start to finish. This program is limited to employees of Blaine businesses and organizations. Workshops are offered in a six-session package or on a workshop-by-workshop basis. With the City of Blaine’s sponsorship, costs are $225 for all six workshops or $75 for each individual workshop.

Individuals completing all six sessions will earn the Essentials of Project Management Certificate, which confirms that students have gained the skills and tools necessary to effectively prioritize, schedule workflow, communicate roles, control timelines and budgets, manage conflict and deal with inevitable project changes.

The City of Blaine, in partnership with the Anoka County Workforce Center, Anoka-Ramsey Community College and Anoka Technical College, used survey results from the Blaine Business Retention and Expansion Project, along with follow up visits to survey participants, to identify high priority training needs for Blaine businesses.

Designed especially to meet the needs of Blaine’s manufacturing, service and retail organizations, this certificate program is the third in a series to be offered by the City of Blaine and its educational partners.

Blaine Business Owner Recognized

Congratulations to Elizabeth Abraham, CEO of Top Tool Company who was recognized as an industry leader by The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business (July 28th issue). The Business Journal honored key players and innovators at the top of their field and Elizabeth was recognized as one of those innovators.

Top Tool designs and manufactures medical components as well as electronics, semiconductor, aerospace, automotive and insert moldings. They specialize in precision miniature components for the medical and electronics industries. Top Tool is ISO 9001:2000 certified in production stampings. Al and Elizabeth Abraham purchased Top Tool in 1987 and moved to Blaine in 1997 and they currently employ 30 people. Top Tool Company was named the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year in 2005.

For Business Journal subscribers here is a link to the article:
http://www.bizjournals.com/subscribe/twincities/?sid=e0b70d0cb8b5b24fbfed9fae8b3c479c

M&I Bank
1520 - 109th Avenue NE
612-904-8000

Holiday Station Stores
9933 Ulysses Street NE
763-783-2865

Hockey Zone Minnesota
10450 Baltimore Street NE
763-780-1204

Relieve Care
10141 Central Avenue NE
763-458-8041

Relieve Medical Supplies
10141 Central Avenue NE
763-780-3002

All Blaine businesses are listed on BlaineBiz.com.

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