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May Home Sweet Home find a new home in Minot

It is good news to see the City of Minot reach buyout agreements with unique retailer Home Sweet Home and Open Gate Church.

It will be up to the members and supporters of Open Gate Church to determine its future.

The future of Home Sweet Home is more complex. Because Home Sweet Home is an historic property, the city is required by the North Dakota Historical Society to preserve the house – and the city plans now are to move it across the street and away from the footprint of the flood protection project, which prompted the need for the negotiation in the first place. It is a complicated move, with no certainty of no damage to the quaint building.

That same complication makes it unlikely that the beloved store could just re-open in its new site. The expense could be tremendous. “It’s definitely the last Christmas in this old house,” said Home Sweet Home co-owner Linda Johnson. The gift store well known for its North Dakota-sourced products must be out of its current location by March 1.

Johnson said a new location has not been found yet. The retail portion of the business will have to close if no place is found, but the broker businesses and appearances at Pride of Dakota and other shows would continue.

There is precious little local, distinct retail in Minot. Home Sweet Home is a gem, “selling” North Dakota to North Dakota (and visitors). The worst aspect of this long-in-the-going negotiation has been the prospect of losing such a celebratory, wonderful store.

Hopefully another option will emerge and one of our most distinct retail businesses will continue growing its history in the market.

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