 Over the past few years, the Bemidji area has seen strong growth in retail and housing. Josh Peterson spoke with city officials and shows us how Bemidji is set to have another record year. If you drive around the city of Bemidji just about anywhere you look, there are orange cones and barriers, a sign of the times that the city of Bemidji has a healthy economic base and is a growing and thriving regional center. It's a combination of new people to the community and people that want to come back to the community after they've had a career elsewhere. The area seeing the most growth is along the Paul Bunyan Drive corridor. With new development popping up along the stretch of roadway, current businesses are redeveloping their property in an effort to stay competitive. Commercial businesses are trying to compete with one another by doing their improvements. A lot of it may be franchise requirements, their facades and whatnot, but we are seeing a lot of development take place. At a time when the retail market is uncertain, Bemidji remains on top and has a strong base of retailers that are top performers in their own companies, something that the city of Bemidji takes great pride in. Our malls and our box store developments are doing very well, they're performing very well. We've seen JCPenney's closing, we've seen Route 21's closing and our stores are remaining strong and they're performing well, they're getting awards. With a strong retail base, Bemidji is also experiencing a housing boom. Currently multiple projects are underway around the area, one of the most noticeable projects is the large South Beach apartment complex on Lake Bemidji's south shore, but soon a first of its kind condo building will break ground providing a new way of living for the Bemidji area. I do believe that there is a niche for the, for a condominium unit on Lake Bemidji and that's going to come from different segments of the market. With expansion in retail and housing, other sectors in the market are expected to see a boost as well. In Bemidji, Josh Peterson, Lakeland News. Construction on the south shore crossing condos is not scheduled to begin until this fall, other projects currently underway include the construction of a MedExpress and Tim Hortons. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.