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Granite Falls space celebrated as a model for development in small, rural towns
The $1 million project turned a vacant storefront into a three-story hub with apartments, studios, and a performance space, organizers said.
- On April 25, 2026, more than 100 people gathered in Granite Falls, Minnesota, for the grand opening of The YES!, a community hub transforming a long-vacant downtown storefront.
- Vacant for two decades, the building formerly housed a Sears store and an independent pharmacy before being gifted to the Department of Public Transformation in 2018.
- Following a successful $1 million capital campaign, the facility now features a recording studio, rock climbing wall, and performance stage, serving as an incubator for small businesses and local artists.
- Scott Marquardt, president of the Southwest Initiative Foundation, called the hub "a dream for economic development," noting small towns offer the same creative opportunities as big cities.
- Ash Hanson, creative executive director of The YES!, described the project as "building a movement" to address community challenges and serve as a model for how rural areas create futures.
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Granite Falls space celebrated as a model for development in small, rural towns
GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — A downtown storefront that had been vacant for most of two decades has been transformed into what its new stewards are calling a model for how small, rural communities can create their own futures. “As an economic developer, this is the moment you dream of: Place, passion and purpose coming together,” said Scott Marquardt, president of the Southwest Initiative Foundation. He spoke April 25 when more than 100 people gathere…
·Cherokee County, United States
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Total News Sources12
Leaning Left0Leaning Right7Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution78% Right
Bias Distribution
- 78% of the sources lean Right
78% Right
C 22%
R 78%
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