News @ Noon: 5th Avenue Live! Developers Buy, Renovating Old ‘Bank of St. Cloud’ Building

ST. CLOUD - The developers of the 5th Avenue Live! in downtown St. Cloud are expanding the scope of the project. Lead Developer Brian Schoenborn says they recently bought the historic "Bank of St. Cloud" building at the corner of 5th Avenue and West St. Germain.

We are doing a full blown repurposing and renovation of that building. It's being monitored by the state historic preservation office and the National Park Service to preserve history, but make sure that there's another 100 to 150 years of economic activity that can happen in that building.

Schoenborn says they're hoping to finish the remodel of the building by this September, then lease out the space. Mc's Dugout will be staying in the lower level of the building.

Meanwhile, on the other end of the development, the former Methodist Church on 5th Avenue near downtown St. Cloud has sat empty for a few years now, but the new owners say they're getting ready to redevelop the property. Schoenborn says they're hoping to finalize plans sometime within the next month.

I think there's an opportunity to build the first real significant office building in our community in the last 25 years on that site. And also continue to connect the university and downtown in meaningful ways. And I believe that we're getting close.

Schoenborn says it's likely the building will have a mix of uses, including office, retail and living space.  He says probably one or two major commercial tenants on the first floor.

Schoenborn says the new Pizza Hut Bar is expected to open later this week, and Quarks American Bento restaurant will open in about a month.

5th Avenue Live! also includes the block of buildings just north of Highway 23, the building that has Chipolte in it, Coborn Plaza, and the Holiday Station convenience store. Those buildings have a combined four spaces that still need to be leased-out.

5th Avenue Live! is a project that began back in 2006.