Improvements Coming to Popular St. Joseph Downtown Building

ST. JOSEPH - A popular building in downtown St. Joseph will see some updates in the near future.

The old Loso building at 25 Minnesota Street West is home to the Minnesota Street Market, Closet to Closet and the Artisan Naan Bakery.

Jeff Engholm is with Prego Properties, which owns the building, he says they are focusing on updating the storefront and improving signage for the businesses.

"We're basically cleaning up the storefront, the awning structure needs to be refurbished."

A balcony will be added to the front of the building and will feature historical photographs. Other improvements include repainting the building facade, adding more lighting and reconstructing the roof overhang.

Engholm says it's exciting to see continued growth in downtown St. Joseph.

"I've always said that I think St. Joseph is going to be the next center of development and expansion in the St. Cloud area, it's exciting to see the work we've done is finally starting to pay off."

Engholm also co-owns The Local Blend in St. Joseph, which recently celebrated its seventh birthday.

The building upgrades will cost around $35,000 and will be paid for through a revolving loan fund from the city. St. Joseph maintains the fund specifically for storefront development and beautification in the downtown area.