Hot commercial property: Suburban Town Center

Type: Retail

Size: 42,133 square feet

Developer: Red Dog Holdings LLC

Architect: DJR Architecture Inc.

Details: St. Paul officials are considering approval of a new shopping center to be redeveloped from a shuttered former auto dealership on the city's East Side, which, in a unique twist, would be anchored by a pawnshop.

The development, to be called Suburban Town Center, is being proposed by Mike Smith, the Minneapolis-based owner of a string of 10 Max It Pawn shops around the Twin Cities, and would be anchored by a new shop to be located inside the showroom of the former Suburban Chrysler along a commercial strip that parallels Interstate 94 between White Bear Avenue and Ruth Street.

Under the plans, the 4.8-acre former car lot would see the addition of three new buildings ranging from 5,104 to 9,796 square feet. Among the confirmed tenants would be the Twin Cities' second Cowboy Slim's Saloon, joining the first in Uptown, which would occupy one of the free-standing new buildings.

Among the biggest changes would be the inclusion of new landscaping islands, rain gardens and retention ponds that would substantially reduce the amount of paved surface within the site, thus cutting down on storm water runoff.

The St. Paul District 1 Community Council has given its approval to the project despite the reservations of some residents over the idea of a pawnshop in the bustling commercial strip, which also boasts Byerly's and Aldi groceries, a TCF Bank branch and a Sonic Drive-In.

Up to 220 new jobs are being promised for the East Side with the project.

The zoning committee of the city's Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on conditional use permits for the effort at its April 7 meeting.

Dean Dovolis of DJR Architecture said that to his knowledge it's the first time a pawnshop would serve as the anchor of a new-construction retail project in the Twin Cities -- an illustration of the "mainstreaming" of such shops, much like thrift stores before them.

"The stereotypes of criminals pawning stolen goods are outdated. The other retailers we've signed for this project are comfortable sharing it with Max It Pawn because they know they have mainstream clientele."

DON JACOBSON