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Olive Garden construction is expected in two phases, according to plans filed with the city of Baxter.
The 7,600-square-foot restaurant is planned on the northwest corner of Highway 371 and Glory Road Drive by J.C. Penney.
Phase one of construction is expected to be the restaurant, landscaping, parking and driveway areas. Phase two involves the construction of the retail strip center of about 13,200 square feet, with not more than 4,200 square feet of restaurant uses including drive-through windows. Olive Garden is expected to include 45 bar seats and 200 seats. Phase one is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2012 but flexibility was requested for the planned unit development to note phase one is required to commence by that date and phase two start construction by Dec. 31, 2014. The proposed food sites in the north retail area of phase two have 130 seats listed for the project along with 9,000 square feet in retail shops. A site plan shows two restaurants, with one on either side of the building with the retail shops in between. One of the restaurants is listed at 2,400 square feet with the other at 1,800 square feet and with drive-through lanes.
So Olive Garden would be closer to Highway 371 and to the far right as motorists turn into the J.C. Penney site off Glory Road. The phase two site would be directly north of Olive Garden and separated by a parking space.
There are a few more details on the shooting and archery range project in Baxter. Mills is teaming with a reported nationally renowned shooting range design and equipment supplier Range Systems from New Hope for the design of the facility. According to documents filed with the city of Baxter, the facility will include a 50-yard fire arms shooting and tactical training range and a 40-yard archery range. While there will be some merchandise, sale of fireams and achery supplies, there will be reportedly little duplication from the nearby Mills Fleet Farm store. Hours of operation are expected to be from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. with some expanded hours for special events, such as tournaments.
Bar Harbor owner John Allen reports he is “exceptionally pleased with the progress” at the restaurant.
The supper club is on the north end of Gull Lake on County Highway 77 in Lake Shore. Plans to open in January have been pushed back as the scope of the renovation was expanded. The slow start to the winter also meant there was no reason to rush. Allen said plans are to open the restaurant in early spring.
A self-serve yogurt business recently leased space in the retail center by Starbucks just off Woida Road in Baxter.
The city of Brainerd reported it didn’t receive a cut in transportation funding and as a result doesn’t expect to raise bus fare, which may have been necessary if funding was reduced.
The Brainerd Lakes Curling Association is getting ready to unveil its new facility on the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds off 13th Street in south Brainerd. Its first season of curling and league play is expected to begin this month.
The Whittier Elementary School building in north Brainerd is being looked at for possible use by the Lakes Area Senior Activity Center.
The Brainerd Hotel and Conference Center in south Brainerd off Business Highway 371 near the Essentia Health-Brainerd Clinic recently remodeled its pool. The full-size pool was drained, sandblasted, repainted and refilled, Jennifer Stephens, hotel sales manager reported. New tables and chairs were added for the pool’s seating area. The hotel planned to host an open house from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 7 in the pool area.
Wausau Paper announced Matthew Urmanski, 39, was appointed senior vice president Tissue and Michael Wildenberg was appointed to senior vice president Tissue Strategy as of March 1. Wildenberg, who joined Wausau Paper in 1981, plans to retire in July. Urmanski joined Wausau Paper in 2000.
Larson Boats introduced its new “FX Series” Fishing Boats, a new line of fiberglass fishing boats for the 2012 season.
“The new Larson FX Series brings together all of the great fishing features from my past life in the aluminum world and combines them with the style, comfort and advanced technology of our patented VEC fiberglass process,” says Al Kuebelbeck, president of Larson Boat Group. “These exciting boats truly are the best of both worlds.”
The series, unveiled at Larson’s 2012 dealer conference in September, includes four boats: a 17-foot tiller, a 17-foot single console, a 17-foot dual console, and an 18-foot dual console. Each model is made with a closed-molded VEC Technology hull and features an integrated, foam-filled composite stringer system and is backed by Larson’s industry-leading “Five-to-Life” transferable, lifetime hull warranty.
“This new FX line brings a whole new revenue stream and profit opportunity to our dealer partners,” says Mike O’Connell, COO of Larson Boat Group. “It fills a market need our dealers have been asking for.”
Larson Boat Group designs, builds and markets 50 models of boats within three brands: Larson, Triumph and Striper. The 99-year-old company sells its boats through dealers located throughout the United States, Canada and worldwide. LBG is a proponent of green manufacturing — Triumph is built with 100% recyclable Roplene, and many Larson and Striper models are made with VEC Technology that reduces styrene emissions by up to 90 percent. Larson Boat Group is headquartered in Little Falls.
RENEE RICHARDSON may be reached at renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5852. Follow on Twitter @Dispatchbizbuzz.
