Walmart proposes replacing historic Minnesota drive-in theater site

The discount retailer has submitted plans to build a 177,000-square-foot Sueprcenter in Cottage Grove. If the city approves the new store, movie fans should have one more season at the Cottage View Drive-in this summer before construction begins. Only a handful of drive-in theaters are still open in Minnesota, but even without the Walmart proposal the future of the Cottage Grove location is uncertain.

Author:
BMTN Staff
Updated:
Mar 8, 2018
Original:
Mar 31, 2012

The discount retailer has submitted plans to build a 177,000-square-foot Sueprcenter in Cottage Grove. If the city approves the new store, movie fans should have one more season at the Cottage View Drive-in this summer before construction begins. Only a handful of drive-in theaters are still open in Minnesota, but even without the Walmart proposal the future of the Cottage Grove location is uncertain.

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Gap says goodbye.

The days are numbered for a summertime staple for movie fans in the southern Twin Cities metro. The Cottage Grove City Council voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of Walmart's plan to build a new SuperCenter store, the South Washington County Bulletin reports. It will be built on the site of the Cottage View Drive-In. After nearly five decades in business, the movie theater will permanently close in October.

The final approval on proposed Walmart store in Cottage Grove has been put on hold. Walmart requested that city commission members delay making the recommendation so the store could address some unanswered questions. The proposed 78,000-square-foot store will be built on 22 acres of land occupied by the Cottage View Drive-In, one of the metro area's two remaining drive-in movie theaters.

The Arkansas-based retailer is moving forward with proposals to put a new store on the site of the Cottage View Drive-In movie theater and the former site of Pov’s Sports Bar and Grill in Andover. Meanwhile, Walmart has four new stores already under construction in Brooklyn Center, Blaine, Burnsville and Lakeville.

The Twin Cities were once home to 28 drive-in theaters. But that number will be down to one after Thursday. Parents who want their kids to experience a drive-in are heading to the final week of the Cottage View Drive-In in Cottage Grove.

Fans of the Cottage View won't be happy, but the drive-in's owner says the finances just don't add up. Fox 9 reports the theater will close to make way for a Wal-Mart.

Although the Cottage View Drive-In hosted a big goodbye party recently with the sing-a-long version of "Grease," the venue will officially show its last movie Saturday night. Despite a rally by the community to save it, the iconic drive-in theater is shutting down after 46 years in business.

With Walmart stores opening in Burnsville, in St. Cloud and in Redwood Falls this coming week, Minnesota for the first time will have more Walmart outlets (including Sam's Clubs) than it does Target stores.

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