COUNTDOWN: THE YEAR’S MAJOR WINONA NEWS
No. 13: Ill-fated land swap.
The Kwik Trip convenience store chain and Winona State University thought they had a win-win going. But they forgot the power of the people. The idea was this: The university would give up its Huff and Sarnia parking lot for Kwik Trip to build a giant store with a 20-pump fueling station, and in exchange the university would acquiree the existing Kwik Trip store across the street and tear it down as an incremental step to clearing the area for a new fieldhouse. Neighbors weren’t keen on a 24-hour 20-pump gas station smack dab in the middle to where they lived – or close. A petition generated 160 signatures. In a “just kidding” moment, Kwik Trip and Winona State backed off.
Kwik Trip. Hemmed-in Huff-Sarnia store into future.