A new Green Mill restaurant will open in Albert Lea next summer at the open lot between Northstar Powersports and Country Inn and Suites on Main Street.

“I would like to announce that Green Mill has picked Albert Lea as a place where they will build a new restaurant,” said Rachel Christensen, who, along with her husband David, has developed the site where the restaurant will go. “After working on this project for a number of years we found a very good fit with Green Mill.”

The Christensens developed the land around the site in a four-year project. In the past few years three other businesses have opened shop on the land; including Texaco, Country Inn and Suites, and Northstar Powersports.

“This is a great example of a very successful TIF (Tax Increment Financing) project,” said City Manager Paul Sparks. The city made the area into a TIF district in order to promote development. Sparks said that, like any TIF project, private investors, like the Christensens, are key to the success of them.

The Green Mill will open mid-summer 2003 according to Chris Bangs, the CEO of Green Mill.

“We’ve had great success in towns in Southern Minnesota and Albert Lea has great demographics for our kinds of restaurant,” said Bangs. “We believe this is a great community. I think it should be a beautiful building and a wonderful addition to the town.”

David Christensen said that construction of the 6,500 square foot building could begin as soon as Dec. 1.

Greater Jobs Inc. executive director Pam Bishop, welcomed the new business to town.

“On behalf of Greater Jobs we would like to commend the Christensens for their efforts,” said Bishop. “We need more people like them to become active in development projects like these.”