Biz Buzz: Essentia Health proposes redevelopment of vacant Camping World site

BAXTER — Finally, the official word is in on what was rumored to be new plans for the former Gander Mountain/Camping World site in Baxter.

Essentia Health is looking to expand operations in Baxter with the redeveloment of the vacant Camping World site.

In September,

the Baxter City Council approved a traffic impact study

for a proposed redevelopment of the former Camping World site. The study will look at the potential impacts of a redevelopment on Highway 371, Excelsior Road, Design Road, Clearwater Road and Edgewood Drive. But everyone was mum on an official confirmation for what the proposed development could be.

This week, the proposal, which was pushed back previously, was finally before the Baxter Planning and Zoning Commission and out in the public.

The applicant was seeking a rezoning and planned unit development general and final plan to amend the current PUD for the site. The request came in order to redevelop the site into “a Musculoskeletal Center with Urgent Care and a Phamacy for property located at 14275 Edgewood Drive.”

“The applicant is proposing to renovate the approximately 68,000 square feet of the 110,000 square foot interior of the building,” according to the applicant request before the city. “The Musculoskeletal Center would include lobby space, Diagnostics, Treatment, Rheumatology, Orthopedic, Pain, Rehabilitation, Urgent Care, Pharmacy with drive through, Procedure Spaces, Imaging, Lab space, and other program and staff spaces.”

The remaining vacant space, 42,479 square feet, in the building would be available for future growth.

The city noted the “applicant is proposing renovations to the exterior appearance of the building. While the building would look completely different after renovation, the applicant is not proposing changes to the building footprint.”

Renovations are proposed for the parking lot, a redesign of the front entrance to add green space, landscaping, dedicated handicap parking area. The city stated the fenced areas, built for Camping World that once corralled recreational vehicles, would be removed with the space dedicated to parking, complete with parking lot islands that add greenspace and typically sought after spaces for summer shade and pedestrian protection. The proposal calls for 540 total parking spaces. A sidewall connection would be included through the parking lot to the front entrance.

The city’s Utility Commission recommended approval earlier this month subject to an escrow agreement to relocate fire hydrants prior to the issuing of a building permit.

The planning commission also recommended approval. Now the proposal will go before the Baxter City Council on Nov. 19 where a brief presentation is expected. Reached for additional comment, Essentia Health did not respond before deadline.

According to the city’s landscaping requirements, 80 trees would be required along with 265 shrubs with the redevelopment along with size and species requirements.

“The developer must provide tree species types, tree sizes, and shrub sizes in compliance with zoning ordinance requirements,” the city noted.

The numbers in the proposal reach those requirements noting there are 61 existing trees and 41 new ones would be added along with shrubs. One area where the proposal didn’t match the city requirements was in having one parking lot island per 10 stalls with a leafy tree, as the proposal indicates one island per 16 stalls. And the applicant requested some of the parking lot islands be without a deciduous tree saying that would allow pedestrians to navigate the parking lot traffic. City staff supported that flexibility but noted a condition was added to plant a tree in each of the parking lot islands in the north parking lot.

Contributed / City of Baxter

“The existing parking area will be reconfigured to provide clear wayfinding, vehicular and pedestrian safety, a pharmacy drive-through and upgrades to the existing landscaping that will align with the City of Baxter’s requirements and Essentia Health’s intent for landscaping to provide an enhanced environment of wellness for visitors while beautifying an existing development within the community,” Widseth stated in a project narrative for Essentia Health.

The developer is proposing 417 parking stalls now, recognizing that falls 120 stalls short of the city requirements, by noting the entire building won’t be for medical use at this time and is reserved for future growth. The city has an option to allow a developer to provide a parking plan showing how the shortfall would be handled to meet the requirement in the future.

Contributed / City of Baxter

“The City Council may approve a ‘demonstrated parking’ plan which allows for a portion of the required parking but demonstrates that the minimum number of required parking spaces can be accommodated on the property and meet setback requirements. … The area for future parking must be maintained as green space (grass, natural plant materials, mulch, or other appropriate landscape material).”

The traffic study did not find changes were needed to handle the development, although it noted there are

unanswered questions regarding access

depending on the

Highway 371 overpass prolect.

Baxter city staff recommended approval for the project.

Camping World

closed the Baxter store on Nov. 16, 2023

, along with other Minnesota stores, and it has been vacant since.

The building was originally a Walmart store

before Walmart built a new supercenter south of Highway 210 and vacated the building. Gander Mountain leased space in the 117,000-square-foot site in 2014.

Gander Mountain and Ashley Furniture once shared the building before the furniture store left the building in 2008 during the Great Recession. Gander Mountain had a going out of business sale at the store in 2017. Camping World bought Gander Mountain out of bankruptcy in 2017 and rebranded it Gander Outdoors. Gander Outdoors reopened the store in the spring of 2018.

Contributed / City of Baxter

Contributed / City of Baxter

RENEE RICHARDSON, Brainerd Dispatch managing editor, may be reached at 218-855-5852 or

renee.richardson@brainerddispatch.com

. Follow on Twitter at

www.twitter.com/DispatchBizBuzz

.