Strip mall planned for Pamida building

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Five New Ulm business people recently bought the former Pamida store in the 1600 block of South Broadway with the intention of creating a strip mall in the 27,000-square foot building.

Printwear Graphics Inc. part-owner Phil Vorwerk said the other partners in the business venture wish to remain anonymous until a later date.

Plans call for three 9,000- square foot retail businesses to rent space in what will become Broadway Plaza South, LLC.

The center space in the building has been leased to a business. Another firm is close to signing and a third business could be secured in several weeks. A fourth store is an option.

All three firms are complementary, nationally-recognized chains, according to Vorwerk. The leased firm is expected to open in the building by November 1, 2001. A second company could open shortly after that.

He would not reveal the names of the businesses involved with the building, other than that they were not restaurants.

Vorwerk said two of the three interested businesses are not currently in New Ulm.

The store will be stripped down to its shell and be completely renovated with new heating, air conditioning, plumbing and outside walls. The front of the building will also be renovated. All work will be done by New Ulm area subcontractors.

"The place will look completely different, like a whole new building," Vorwerk said. "New signage will include a monument sign in front."

Vorwerk said he feels the site is a prime retail spot on Broadway. He described how the building acquisition came about.

"We were looking at it from our business (Printwear Graphics) right across the street and wondered if we couldn't put something together. It took a lot of research to this point, but it's all falling together pretty well now," Vorwerk said. "This (south) end of New Ulm is very vital."

The situation was quite different a decade ago when the former Hoffmann Furniture building was sold and became Printwear Graphics.

"New Ulm real estate values were low then, but soon after we got going, everything on the south end started developing," Vorwerk said. "Jensen Motors and Hy-Vee relocated and more national chains came in. Now when they come in and look at New Ulm, they say this is exactly where we want to be."

The building has been empty for the past few years since Pamida Holdings Corporation left New Ulm.

Pamida, acquired by Shopko in 1999, still operates 230 general merchandise discount stores in 15 midwestern, north central and Rocky Mountain states. They are located mostly in small towns of 5,500 people that are not served by other mass merchandisers.