decorahnews.com exclusive: Menard's wants to build a store in Decorah

Menard's has notified Decorah officials of its plans to build a store in Decorah.

Several sources have told us Menard's representatives met Thursday with City of Decorah officials to discuss their desire to build a Menard's superstore on property off Old Stage Road, behind the Walmart supercenter.  The store would be a typical Menard's, about double the overall square footage of the Decorah Walmart.

Efforts to reach property owners along Old Stage Road have not been productive, but several sources tell decorahnews.com Menard's has purchased options on three parcels of property.  Menard's would dig out a large water retention pond on the property, then use the material excavated to raise the elevation of the store's footprint.

That's the same procedure followed by Walmart when it was building its supercenter--but the same procedure that landed the development in court, touching off a four year legal battle all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of opponents to Walmart.  It was only an out-of-court settlement that allowed Walmart to open its new building, which had been constructed but sat empty for over a year.

At this point, there is no proposal for the City of Decorah to consider.  Menard's must first approach the Army Corps of Engineers and the Iowa DNR to get permission to fill in part of the floodplain.  Only if it won that approval could it come back to the City of Decorah to discuss details of the development of a new store.

Menard's officials were contacted by decorahnews.com for comment about the company's plans, but declined to make a statement.  The company rarely says anything about its developments until the stores open.

The location of the proposed Menard's store