St. Paul Lunds & Byerlys to close, leaving downtown area with no major grocer
Aftermath of the fire at Lunds & Byerlys in downtown St. Paul
A Lunds & Byerlys caught fire early Tuesday in downtown St. Paul.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - The downtown St. Paul Lunds & Byerlys will close in less than three weeks, with company officials saying past criminal incidents have made retaining staff difficult.
The store will end business on March 26, according to a news release from the company sent on Friday.
READ MORE: Arson charges in Lunds & Byerlys fire in downtown St. Paul
St. Paul Lunds & Byerlys closing
What they're saying:
Lunds & Byerlys officials say "significant staffing and financial challenges" over the past five years led them to the decision to close, adding that the store's operating costs far outpace sales.
The news release states declining store visits, likely because of a shift to remote work, and an increase in security costs are also contributing factors to the decision to close.
President and CEO of Lunds & Byerlys Tre Lund released the following statement:
"We deeply admire St. Paul as evidenced by our more than four decades of serving this community, starting with our Highland Park store in 1983 and Downtown St. Paul in 2014. While we had hoped for a different outcome for our downtown store, we remain optimistic the fabric of St. Paul, including its downtown community, will become even stronger with more of the workforce returning to downtown businesses and government offices along with a continued strengthening of the city’s public safety efforts and policies that are designed to attract further development to grow downtown’s population."
The news release concludes by saying the company has a "sincere desire" for another grocery store to occupy the space.
St. Paul Lunds & Byerlys fire
Fire burns at the Lunds & Byerlys in downtown St. Paul
A Lunds & Byerlys in downtown St. Paul catches fire. Video courtesy Corey Schreppel
The backstory:
A fire broke out at the downtown St. Paul Lunds & Byerlys in the early morning hours of March 29, 2022.
No injuries were reported, but prosecutors say the store had to discard approximately $350,000 in merchandise, and the total damage was between $500,000 and $800,000.
The store opened three days later, on April 1.
READ MORE: St. Paul Lunds & Byerlys catches fire over night
Investigators reviewed surveillance video and spotted a man place his hand in the trash and recycling bins outside the store just before they erupted in flames sometime before 1:30 a.m. that morning.
A man with a history of mental illness, Timothy John Arsenal, now 39, was then arrested and charged with arson.
Court records show Arsenal was convicted of arson and sentenced to three years of supervised probation. He has been convicted on other damage to property charges since then.
Twin Cities ‘food deserts’ concerns
Aldi closing in North Minneapolis, propelling ‘food desert’ label
Aldi is set to close a location in North Minneapolis, leaving only two grocery stores offering fresh produce left in a large region of the city.
Dig deeper:
A lack of options for fresh food in a populated area is colloquially referred to as a "food desert", often times forcing residents to shop outside their community.
READ MORE: Aldi in north Minneapolis to close, leaving fewer grocery options for neighborhood residents
Pillsbury United Communities opened North Market in north Minneapolis seven years ago to combat what they say was one of the largest food deserts in the country.
They say public, private, and nonprofit entities need to work together and be creative to overcome underinvestment on the Northside.
READ MORE: Good Grocer returns to south Minneapolis after being forced out by 35W project
A Walmart in Brooklyn Center also announced its plan to close in spring 2023, pointing to poor financial performance.
READ MORE: Walmart set to close Brooklyn Center store next month
The Source: A statement from Lunds & Byerlys and past FOX 9 reporting.