Dick’s Sporting Goods, Fresh Thyme Confirmed as Tenants of Former Kmart Site

WAITE PARK -- The rumors about what will go into the former Kmart building in Waite Park have been circulating for months and today (Wednesday) have finally been confirmed.

Dick's Sporting Goods and Fresh Thyme Farmers Market will be two of three tenants occupying the site.

Waite Park Planning and Community Development Director Jon Noerenberg says it shouldn't be long before renovations begin.

"I think we will start seeing some construction activity around the site any day now. Some of that work will be exterior to a little bit of a degree but you may see trucks and equipment mobilizing around the property any day now," says Noerenberg.

Fresh Thyme market is a full-service specialty retailer focusing on value-priced fresh, healthy, natural and organic offerings. They recently opened a store in Bloomington back in September and plan to open 60 stores by 2019.

Dick’s Sporting Goods have five stores in the Twin Cities metro area, and would be the first in the St. Cloud Metro.

Plans have Fresh Thyme building a 28,000 square foot grocery store (where the current entrance stands), Dick's Sporting Goods building a 52,000 square foot store in the middle of the building, and a 6,900 square foot retail center (which is unknown at this time) in the former Garden Center.

Noerenberg says it's exciting to see some new life coming into the vacant building.

"Buildings have a tendency to deteriorate pretty quickly when they are not actively being utilized and we are thankful we have been able to work with the owners, developers in finding some tenants and we hope they will be great additions the the community and we fully expect them to be," says Noerenberg.

Both stores plan to open October 2016. The K-Mart store closed back in December.