Fuller Center interested in building in town

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Recent survey results showed a continued lack of support for the city’s branding, mainly the four graphic tabs that are part of the town’s logo. The EDA discussed a 10-year plan in examining the city’s brand and potential changes to it in the future at last week’s meeting.

By Robert Williams

Editor

The EDA continued discussions on the Frazee welcome signs on U.S. Highway 10, including 60 responses from a survey that was sent out looking for feedback on Tuesday, Oct. 29.

The 10-year permit for the sign on eastbound Highway 10 near Eagle Lake Road is expiring at the end of the year and what to do with that sign prompted the survey and discussions on future plans regarding the city’s branding.

Discussions were also held at the latest Frazee Forward meeting where the feedback was that the eastbound sign near Eagle Lake had many detractors. EDA Consultant Karen Pifher also noted that the sign on the east end of town by the County Road 10 exit is also not popular.

In an attempt to get more data, the public survey asked whether or not they liked the sign, if they were willing to donate to the project and how much.

“Official results were returned by 60 people, the majority of people do not like the sign,” said Pifher.

She reported that over half of respondents were either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the highest number of people being very dissatisfied.

Roughly half of the group were willing to donate funds and those who were willing equated to $3,500.

The initial plan was to replicate the sign on the east end of town and use it to replace the sign near Eagle Lake, however, the survey responses were enough to pause that action.

“We would hate to make a second sign of a sign that we already don’t like,” Pifher said.

The change complicates the city’s branding.

“We want to look cohesive,” Pifher said.

City council liaison Andrea Froeber brought up the faux-brick welcome signs that can be seen outside Detroit Lakes, Audubon and Lake Park. According to City Administrator Stephanie Poegel, those welcome signs run approximately $30,000 per unit.

Feedback on the brand showed that respondents do not like the logo that includes four visual panels of the brand.

Initial discussions are to form a subcommittee to examine survey results and come up with multiple options. Another was to approach the city council with a potential rebranding of the city for the second time in five years. The issue there includes the hours spent on the branding process, along with at least $20,000.

Affordability is a deterrent to moving forward with an immediate rebranding. The group came to consensus that it is something that should be considered in the next 5-10 years with more input from the community to be gathered in that time.

Because the Department of Transportation is involved, the sign must adhere to their specifications, which includes no advertising. 

A temporary solution of pricing a vinyl wrap for the current sign near Eagle Lake to be used as a more affordable alternative to a sign that will eventually be replaced and pricing the wrap was agreed upon.

Advertising

Newman Outdoor Account Executive Tricia Geffre attended Tuesday’s meeting to discuss a billboard focusing on the advertising of the restaurants in town.

According to Pifher, a Frazee Community Club Subcommittee meeting came up with an option to recommend the community club subsidize the cost by $180 per month, thus lowering the funds needed from the six restaurants to about $75 per month.

Newman Outdoor Account Executive Tricia Geffre provided three options from a 24-foot poster program to a full-sized digital billboard.

Fuller Center

The Detroit Lakes Area Fuller Center has expressed interest in coming to Frazee, according to Pifher.

Fuller Center is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing solutions for individuals and families in need. They work to address housing insecurity and improve living conditions within the community.

The organization typically chooses a family in need and builds that family a new home through partnerships and volunteer efforts. They also choose up to five local houses and spend up to $5,000 on improvements for each house.

Fuller Center’s total investment would be approximately $250,000 to $300,000. One request of the city would be for the EDA to donate a lot for the construction of the new home.

The Fuller Center for Housing was founded after Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller and his wife Linda parted ways with Habitat’s then board of directors. Fuller was determined to return to the grass-roots, Christian principles with which he had started Habitat for Humanity.

This recommitment to those principles was affirmed by The Fuller Center’s board of directors. Instead of affiliates, local chapters of The Fuller Center would be deemed “covenant partners” and were simply required to also commit to those Christian principles, while being allowed to function without bureaucratic interference from The Fuller Center’s headquarters.

The non-profit accepts applications from families in need and uses that information to choose the next recipient of a home.

Funding applications

Dave Jopp, representing the Gobbler Grub & Pub, was in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting as one of two local companies that had applied for funds through the EDA. The Gobbler requested a $25,000 loan to complete the purchase of the restaurant’s building. The loan committee recommended and EDA approved the loan at 1 percent below market rate pending the approval of traditional funding requirements.

Home Sweet Bakehouse also requested an $8,000 loan for equipment to be held until the business is closer to opening in the spring of 2025. The request was also approved.