Laserfiche WebLink
communities, such as Nisswa and Crosby. The Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of <br /> Commerce also has been expanding to include businesses throughout the region, now <br /> boasting more than i,ioo business members. The Chamber of Commerce recently <br /> completed construction on a new Welcome Center just to the south of Brainerd to greet <br /> visitors as they enter the lakes region and to supplement the information already <br /> available at the other welcome centers located in Crosslake and Pequot Lakes. <br /> Over the last ten years, the Highway 371 corridor in the Baxter area has experienced <br /> significant change, with the addition of several convenience retail stores including <br /> Target,Menards,and Wal-Mart.The tourism industry also has not slackened,but rather <br /> is experiencing a metamorphosis from a foundation in small, family-run resorts and <br /> cabins to a larger, more complex resort industry. This change can be seen in the <br /> declining number of small resorts and the number of resort conversion projects as well <br /> as the burgeoning hotel and spa facilities becoming available in the region. <br /> Cities like Pequot Lakes and Nisswa have capitalized on the vacation-oriented growth by <br /> providing visitors with distinct retail destinations. Both cities have compact business <br /> districts with small boutiques, shops, and restaurants that cater to vacationers looking <br /> for a small town shopping experience. <br /> Pending State Highway 371 Improvements <br /> Downtown Pequot is bisected by a major transportation thoroughfare, State Highway- <br /> 371. The increasing year-round and seasonal populations in the region have placed <br /> strain on the major route through the Central Lakes Region and public officials have <br /> responded with plans for increasing the traffic capacity of the road. North of downtown <br /> Nisswa,State Highway 37.1 narrows from a four-lane highway to a two-lane highway and <br /> travels as such through Downtown Pequot. <br /> Traffic on this highway is expected to dramatically increase over the next ten years.As a <br /> result, officials and engineers from Crow Wmg County and the Minnesota Department <br /> of Transportation have been working with local officials in planning the expansion of the <br /> highway.This will include the construction of an alternative alignment that will take the <br /> highway to the east of the existing downtown. Preliminary schematics have been drawn, <br /> but no plans have been officially finalized. <br /> Pequot Lakes Downtown Plan—Updated February 2008 5 <br />