Menards eyes Austin, Minn., site

Eau Claire, Wis.-based Menards has proposed a new store in Austin, Minn., a south central Minnesota city close to the Iowa border, according to a report in the Austin Post-Bulletin.

The retailer has proposed a 162,000-square-foot store on a 78-acre site, which includes space for other commercial developments and multi-family homes, according to the report.

It’s unclear when construction could begin on the project, from summer 2008 to spring 2009.

The site is near a Target store, and a nearby site includes a Wal-Mart Supercenter currently under construction. The Menards store is expected to employ 150 to 200 people.