You read recently in “newflash” that the residents of Northfield, MN narrowly voted to OK a giant Target supercenter on the outskirts of town. This week, the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, a statewide advocacy groups, listed downtown Northfield as one of the state’s 10 most endangered historic area. The listing reads as follows: “Historic downtown Northfield, 1860s to 1930s. This college town has one of the state’s best-preserved, most vital downtowns, but a vote this spring to allow ‘big box’ retail on the edge of town could sap its strength.”
Northfield as “Targeted” for sprawl, and many voters in town feel like saps for trying to stand up for the existing downtown. For further information about the campaign to save Northfield’s central commercial district, contact Stephanie Henriksen at 507-645-7086.