Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
A brewery, taproom or restaurant may soon be coming to 1619 Oakdale Ave., West St. Paul. The West St. Paul City Council recently approved an exclusive rights agreement to allow Lavelle Investments LLC six months to research, formulate and negotiate a specific proposal for acquisition and redevelopment of the property, located at the corner of Oakdale and Wentworth. The developer is working with a party that’s interested party in developing one of those options.
Eco Chico, an environmentally-centered business that buys and sells gently used children’s clothing and items, recently opened in Suite #7A at Signal Hills Center, 1201 S. Robert. St. Owner Krystell Thiesen-Escobar started the business with the goal of helping families embrace a more eco-friendly and budget-conscious lifestyle. Those selling items to the store are required to provide identification and sign off on an agreed selling price. Once accepted, Eco Chico sends out a digital payment and prepares the items for resale in the store. Store hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Saturday. For more information, visit ecochicoresale.com.
Cherokee Dental owners Joshua Vang and Mai Ya Xiong of J & M Enterprise, LLC have received a conditional use permit to relocate their dental clinic from 374 Annapolis St. W. to a larger building at 34 Moreland Ave. E. The business also offers medical-spa services. A med-spa is a combination of a traditional day spa and medical clinic, with non-surgical, aesthetic treatments and procedures either performed or supervised by a licensed physician. Common services include topical treatments like chemical peels, laser/light therapy and scar removal, injectable treatments such as Botox and dermal fillers, as well as body sculpting and contouring services such as cool-sculpting. They expect to open in April 2024.
Café Zupas recently opened at 2079 S. Robert St. in West St. Paul, near Cub Foods. This is the ninth location in the Twin Cities area for the Utah-based restaurant chain, followed by a branch that opened in Blaine in June. The West St. Paul location has indoor dining space and two drive -thru lanes – one for orders placed in person and one for orders placed ahead using the Café Zupas Loyalty App. The company was founded in 2004 and has nearly 70 locations across eight states. Each meal is served with a complimentary chocolate-dipped strawberry, dipped fresh daily in the restaurant.
Former YMCA property – City staff are continuing to work with Swervo Development Corporation and Greco Properties to redevelop the former YMCA property at 150 Thompson Ave. E. Preliminary concept plans call for multifamily housing with play areas, plaza space, a multi-use structure, pickleball courts, water features and more. The city and developer entered into a preliminary purchase agreement in July, but a date hasn’t been set for when a development agreement is expected. In November, the preliminary purchase agreement was amended to allow the former AutoZone property to be redeveloped into either a restaurant or a brewery rather than permitting a restaurant only.