Church may add life to vacant strip
by John Gessner
Thisweek Newspapers
A church may occupy one of three vacant buildings on a commercial strip along a Burnsville frontage road.
Flash of Light Ministries has applied for a conditional use permit to allow religious assembly at the Fabrics N Home Ltd. building at 13000 Aldrich Ave. S. The frontage road is south of Burnsville Parkway and west of Interstate 35W.
The permit requires City Council approval. Flash of Light wants to rent the building, which would remain on the tax rolls, said Skip Nienhaus, Burnsville’s economic development coordinator.
The building’s last tenant was Parrot Island, a bird and bird-products store.
The building was originally a Shakey’s Pizza restaurant, Nienhaus said.
The other vacant buildings on Aldrich are the former Hooters restaurant, which closed in October 2010, and the former Timber Lodge Steakhouse.
Timber Lodge appeared to be doing fine when it was shuttered by a corporate edict, Nienhaus said.
“Certainly, Hooters restaurants do well,” he added. “I will admit, anecdotally, I think this one was slipping. The owners of this one owned two others, and they were having financial difficulties amongst all three.”
Nienhaus said he doesn’t know why another restaurant hasn’t moved into the building. “We certainly have restaurants in other nondescript locations in town,” he said.
John Gessner is at john.gessner@ecm-inc.com.
