ST. PAUL -- Legislation allowing the city of Pennock to acquire the former Phil's Corner convenience store has been approved by a Minnesota Senate committee.
The State and Local Government Committee approved the bill on Monday and sent it to the full Senate for approval.
The legislation has been approved by committees in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.
It was introduced this session by Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar, and Rep. Al Juhnke, DFL-Willmar.
City officials contacted the legislators when they were looking for ways to reopen Phil's Corner, which has been closed and for sale since October 2004.
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When the 26-year-old store closed, the town's residents lost the only local business where they could buy gas or groceries.
One idea for reopening the business was the possibility of the city buying, remodeling and reopening the business itself while continuing to look for someone to lease or buy it.
However, that can't be done without state permission. City officials have put their plans on hold until the Legislature has acted.
Pennock Mayor Kevin Crowley said last week that the legislation is a first step in exploring what might be done to reopen the store.
The city does not want to own a business, he said, but it may be the only way to get the convenience store operating again. The long-term plan would be to have a private party operate the business, he said.
The inability to buy gas and groceries in town is a roadblock to development, Crowley said.
City officials have estimated it could cost about $225,000 to purchase the business and update the building and equipment. The project could be financed with revenue bonds, and income from the store would be used to make the payments.
