Last call delayed for Cameron's

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Review Staff

With just 13 days until the end of the road for Cameron's Warehouse Liquor, the 115-year-old store received a new lease on life, until July 18 anyway.

Cameron's on Concord Boulevard in Inver Grove Heights is counting down the days until the oncoming rumble of reconstruction shuts down the business at its current location in the old village.

While a new location is the only possible future for the business, Dakota County has agreed to a new lease, extending the days of the "customer thank-you and forced move sale" until July 18.

The business had initially faced a closure date of May 31. But with nowhere to go, owner George Cameron called County Commissioner Nancy Schouweiler to see if anything could be done to stay just a bit longer.

"We've been trying to work with Mr. Cameron since the project started," said Schouweiler. The county has determined that construction can remain on schedule if the business remains open another two months.

Dakota County seized the property last August under eminent domain to make room for the expanded, rebuilt from below-the-ground-up Concord Boulevard, complete with new curb and gutter, turn lanes, storm sewer, retaining walls, sidewalks and bike trails.

The stretch of Concord from Cooper Path to the South St. Paul border is the second of a three-phase reconstruction. All in all, the county made eight total property acquisitions, five with willing buyers. A furniture store bought out in South St. Paul for the first leg of the project initially opposed the project, but a settlement was agreed to by both parties, and a property just south of Cameron's has yet to agree to an offer, according to the project's design engineer Tom Anton.

Cameron's was initially offered a payment just over $500,000.

A county arbitration panel came up with a new offer of $655,000 on May 6. Through negotiations, however, Cameron has made it clear that the building and the business are worth plenty more to him and his family. He doesn't know how much that number will ultimately be however. "There are too many unknowns," he said.

He added that the business hasn't found a new location because the money offered by the county would not cover the costs of purchasing a new building and lot as well as relocation costs.

"The appraisal of the property didn't really allow me to replace what I'm losing," he explained.

A commercial appraiser is brought in to determine compensation for properties acquired by the county, said Anton, and uses comparable recent sales to determine the value per square foot.

Now, Cameron and his attorney Dan Biersdorf, an eminent domain lawyer from Minneapolis, are planning on taking the county to district court. A 2006 law requires a minimum compensation level for properties taken through eminent domain. This could increase the amount paid to the business and cover the costs of relocating, not just the cost of the current property.

By the time the case gets to a hearing, the move should be over and an actual number for how much the relocation costs the business should be better established, said Biersdorf.

The case is also an opportunity to explore the new law and establish precedent in favor of whichever party prevails, the government entity and public works or the individual property owner, he said.

"It's probably not typical, but we're not surprised," said Anton about the impending lawsuit.

Cameron has 40 days from the arbitration panel's decision to file an appeal, which he said he intends to do. From there, court proceedings could take as long as a year.

Another option is an out-of-court settlement between the two parties.

"Certainly we'd prefer to reach a settlement to avoid the time and the costs of litigation," said Anton.

Either, way, Cameron said he plans to reopen in a new location in Inver Grove Heights.

In the meantime, the shelves at Cameron's are fully stocked, and the mood is light-hearted.

"I'm not going out of business. I have to move, but I want to keep the selection of product fully stocked until the last day when I have to pack everything up and move," explained George.

Customers and staff swap tales, familiar faces stop by to say "hello" after hearing the news and George claims business has hardly been affected by the economic woes. People are still spending money on liquor and beer, but they're taking their money to the store for a six pack, rather than to the bar for a cocktail, he said.

Once part of Inver Grove Village, the building itself once was a feed store and a grocery store before transitioning to a liquor store in 1972. George is the fourth generation proprietor. His grandfather and his grandfather's father were both postmasters, taking up shop within the grocery store to handle the village's mail alongside the produce and meat sections.

Danielle Cabot can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 651-748-7815.