August 18, 2014
Eagan Welcomes New Outlet Mall, Opening Day a Success

On August 14, your Chamber attended the opening ceremony for the new Eagan Outlet Mall and provided ribbon cutting services for multiple new members. The outlet mall will provide more than 1,600 permanent and part-time jobs, providing $3.06 million in payroll taxes annually. The construction of the mall generated 960 jobs and $4.1 million in payroll taxes.

Although this project has been a work in progress for a while, continued reassessment and hopes for greater physical and economic development for Cedar Grove has been a topic of conversation for almost two decades. The Cedar Grove Redevelopment Area, parts of which are known as Cedarvale, is located east of Highway 77 (Cedar Avenue) and includes property on both the north and south sides of Highway 13. According to the City of Eagan in their opening day press release, efforts to revitalize Cedar Grove began 16 years ago in 1998, when a Cedar Avenue/Highway 13 task force was formed to respond to a Cedar Grove business area that was in decline. To read more about this area's development in history and about the outlet mall's opening, click here. To see photos of the new outlet mall's development since 2013, click here. 
Committed to business... for YOU.
Seminar Announced: Aligning Taxes with Economic Growth
High taxes and an outdated model do not position Minnesota for growth

Please join the Dakota County Regional Chamber and the Center of the American Experience for a seminar titled "Aligning Taxes with Economic Growth". The event will be on Friday, September 5, 2014 from 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. at Skyline Exhibits, located at 3355 Discovery Road in Eagan.

High quality government services depend on an adequate amount of tax revenue for funding. But how Minnesota raises that tax revenue greatly impacts incentives to work and to invest in this state. Minnesota needs a taxation model that reflects today's economic realities and positions Minnesota for growth.

At this event, Center of the American Experiment will release the seventh chapter of The Minnesota Policy Blueprint: Prescription for Prosperity, a package of innovative policy recommendations that emphasize personal initiative, free enterprise and a limited, frugal government. The Minnesota Policy Blueprint, in its entirety, will be released later this fall. The speaker for this event will be Michael Vekich.

 

3 New Must-Have Foods at the Minnesota State Fair

1.Pizza Tots

Green Mill's version of the tater tot, these handmade pizza tots combine sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, seasonings and hash browns, and they are then dusted with Parmesan cheese and served with a side of pizza sauce.

 

2. Bacon Wrapped Turkey Leg 

A roasted turkey leg wrapped in a layer of bacon. Find it at Texas Steak Out located on Underwood St. north of Randall Ave.

 

3. Pretzel Curds

These real Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds are coated in a batter made from crushed pretzels, bread crumbs, and American Pilsner beer; deep-fried to create a crunchy outside and a soft delicious inside; and served with a zesty dipping sauce. Find them at O'Gara's at the Fair located on the corner of Dan Patch Ave. and Cosgrove Steet.

Source: http://www.mnstatefair.org/fun/new_food/

 
Local Focus:  Find Out What's Happening In Your Community

 

Rosemount City Council meets August 19 - see the agenda. 

Eagan City Council meets August 19- see the agenda.

Mendota Heights City Council meets August 19 - see the agenda.

Farmington City Council meets August 18 - see the agenda.

Project Raises Concerns for West St. Paul Businesses

 

On Monday, August 11, The West St. Paul City Council approved the Final Landscape Design as part of Phase 2, as well as the bidding of Phase 1 reconstruction for the Robert Street Construction Project. The City will seek bids and award a contract in September for the first phase of the project.

                                                                                                               

The first phase is estimated to cost $27.5 million including right of way and overhead costs, and an additional $4.7 million for Phase II. We remain concerned that funding for projects such as these are passed down to business owners through increased local property taxes, special assessments (one-time, ongoing maintenance), and other fees. To read more about this issue, click here.

Introducing the Made in Minnesota Manufactures Directory 

 

Are you a local manufacturer?  If so we have a great resource for you. Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's Made in Minnesota Manufacturers Directory. The directory is a great resource for local manufacturers and takes only minutes for register. You will benefit from exposure and links to potential Minnesota suppliers and customers.
 
New Members
We welcome the following new members!







Data Bank
3255 Neil Armstrong Boulevard
Eagan, MN 55121
Contact: Brett Striker
www.databank.com
Data Bank

DataBank is the leading provider of enterprise-class data center solutions in Dallas, Kansas City and Minneapolis.  Our focus is providing customers with 100% uptime availability of data, applications and deployed infrastructure.  We offer a full suite of hosting solutions including colocation, managed services and cloud solutions that are anchored in world-class secure data center facilities with best of breed infrastructure and highly robust network architecture.  Our customized client deployments are designed to effectively manage risk, improve technology performance and allow clients to focus on their core business objectives.




Goff Public
255 East Kellogg Boulevard
Suite 102
Saint Paul, MN 55101
Contact: Jonathan Bohn

Goff Public is a Minnesota-based, mid-sized firm that has provided public relations and public affairs services for more than 45 years.  We have a diverse Minnesota and national clientele, ranging from large corporations to local trade associations and nonprofits.  Goff Public represents and promotes our clients' best interests and protects their reputations through customized public relations and public affairs efforts.  We strive to become a trusted, accessible, and results-oriented member of each client's team.  In 2013, we were named best small company to work for by Minnesota Business magazine.



 

Tommy Hilfiger
3905 Eagan Outlets Parkway
Suite 550
Eagan, MN 55122
Contact: Tim Loop

As one of the world's leading premium lifestyle brands, Tommy Hilfiger delivers superior styling, quality and value to consumers worldwide.  The brand celebrates the essence of Classic American Cool and provides a refreshing twist to classic, American fashion. 

The Tommy Hilfiger flag logo is recognized around the world as the symbol for high quality, quintessential American style with a cool twist.  Products include men's, women's and children's apparel, and accessories that reflect the classic American cool brand mission. 






Which Wich
2000 Rahncliff Court #400
Eagan, MN 55122
Contact: Jeff Eccles

Some want to make superior sandwiches. Some want to make the world a better place.  We want to do both.
We offer more than 50 varieties of customizable wiches, from the signature Wicked®, loaded with five meats (turkey, ham, roast beef, pepperoni, and bacon) and a choice of three cheeses, to unique items such as Thank You Turkey® with stuffing and cranberry sauce. The Which Wich menu also includes plenty of vegetarian options and several healthy wiches for less than 400 calories each. Even the extras are held to high standards: signature house chips, hand-dipped shakes, and just-out-of-the-oven cookies are as superior as the sandwiches.









Pearl Vision- Eagan Location
1270 Promenade Place, Suite 120
Eagan, MN 55121
Contact: Brent Neveau

For more than 50 years, people like you, right in our neighborhood have been the focus of everything Pearle Vision does. We go above and beyond to show how much we care: from educating you about your eyes and advanced care options to helping you find the perfect designer frames and talking straight about prices.  We're not just your eye care experts, we're your neighbors, too. So always count on clear answers and personal attention. Our commitment will still be going strong long after you leave with your new pair of glasses or updated lenses.

 

 

 

 

 

Puffy Cream Donuts Plus

3390 Coachman Rd. #208

Eagan, MN 55121

Contact: Seng Phothisanh

Member News
News on what's happening with our members and in the community!

 

 

Congratulations to Mark Lofthus from Dakota Electric for winning the refer-a-member $50 Green Mill gift card contest!
 

Guild Incorporated recently elected new officers to their Board of Directors. Michael Sampson, J.D., was elected to chairperson and Nik Larsen was elected to the role of vice chairperson. The board also welcomed Tom Luing, CFP. Luing, a Certified Financial Planner with Capital Management Associates, brings extensive experience in financial planning and wealth management. Click here to learn more.

 

Welcome to new members Tommy Hilfiger and Maurices! DCR Staff and ambassadors stopped during the busy and fun opening day of the Eagan Outlet Mall to celebrate their new memberships with some ribbon cutting ceremonies.

 

Congratulations to Velocity Telephone, who has acquired the assets of FTTH Communications and is bringing Gigabit Minnesota to the City of Rosemount. Gigabit Minnesota will make Rosemount the first Gigabit City in the Metro Twin Cities area of Minneapolis/St Paul. To view the full press release, click here. 

 

Congratulations to WSB & Associates, Inc., who have just announced that their Municipal Engineering Resource Guide was chosen as the recipient of the 2014 Award for Exceptional Performance in Journalism by the American Public Works Association. The award will be presented later this month at the 2014 APWA International Congress & Exposition in Toronto. To see the full press release, click here.

 


Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce
1121 Town Centre Drive, Suite 102
Eagan, MN 55123
651.452.9872

Give us a call today!
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