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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

Tower projects highlight meeting

Several developments in the works

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TOWER—Plans for harbor town houses, a new hotel, a revamped marina, and a small house community are all potential developments in Tower’s near future. That’s according to Orlyn Kringstad, who updated residents on projects he’s currently working on through his newly-formed company, Tower Vision 2025, during a public meeting last Thursday at the city’s civic center.

Kringstad outlined recent changes in plans for the town houses at the harbor, which still include 20 town houses along with a restaurant, apartments, and other retail space.

The planned two- and three-bedroom town houses are expected to range in price from $298,000-$375,000, according to Kringstad. His company is currently finalizing the legal work to begin taking orders for the units.

While the harbor development has been in the works for several months, other developments along the riverfront are in earlier stages of development. Kringstad said he’s also in discussions with prospective hotel developers, which would most likely be located on the site of the now-closed Marjo Motel. He said he has also met with the owners of the marina property, and the owners of a business known as Your Boat Club, which currently operates nine marinas on nine premier lakes in central and southern Minnesota. A representative of the boat club recently visited the Tower marina and Kringstad said interest in establishing another location appears to be significant. Vermilion would be the largest lake, and arguably the most spectacular, to host a Your Boat Club facility. The company, based in Minneapolis, sells memberships that allow members to use boats at any of the facilities that the club owns. It also rents boats to non-members.

Kringstad also outlined a plan to develop small, energy-efficient homes on property just north of the Lake View Cemetery, along Hoodoo Point Road. He said the proposal would provide affordable and sustainable housing options for year-round or seasonal residents. “I call them ‘garden cottages,’” he said.

Kringstad noted that he doesn’t have signed contracts with private landowners at this point, but that there is significant enthusiasm by all the parties involved to advance the projects he outlined. “I would encourage everyone to talk it up with your neighbors and talk it up with your friends,” he said. “Once we get the first shovels in the ground, things are going to start to snowball.”