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Mendota Plaza

New retail development is nearly at a standstill throughout most of Minnesota. St. Paul-based Paster Enterprises, though, is bucking this trend.

The company, a shopping center development and management firm, broke ground in the spring on the redevelopment of the Mendota Plaza shopping center in Mendota Heights, Minn. Construction crews are remodeling the existing 48,000-square-foot building, performing significant parking improvements and boosting the site’s landscaping.

Perhaps most importantly, though, Paster Enterprises is building something new on the site: a 14,820-square-foot stand-alone Walgreens.

There are even plans for future phases: additional retail buildings, senior housing, office space and a childcare facility. The planned improvements will double the size of the existing project. The hope is to create a regional destination for shopping and dining.

Howard Paster, president of Paster Enterprises, said that much had to go right for the project to proceed. Still, it was far from an easy process earning approval for the work.

“Getting this project through the city was a long process,” Paster said. “It was a long, involved process with the city. We did get through that, though. As part of the approval, we were required to do a mixed-use development. That’s why we have future phases that incorporate a residential piece. It’s an exciting project, especially in today’s market.”

Tags | Minnesota, Paster Enterprises, Retail, St. Paul

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