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Breckenridge locals fill health, beauty, wellness void
Artist rendering of The Stratford. Petersen said they would love the final product to be as close to this image as possible.
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Wilkin County Reporter
Breckenridge locals fill health, beauty, wellness void
Artist rendering of The Stratford. Petersen said they would love the final product to be as close to this image as possible.
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Breckenridge, Minnesota, locals announced Monday night they are opening The Stratford, in the empty, existing Cinema 6 movie theater space. They hope to be a hub for health, wellness and beauty businesses in an area they feel has been severely lacking.
A location with a storied history is welcoming new owners into the fray. Whitney Petersen and Dylan Summerville have aligned their goals into a single vision they hope to open to the public in fall 2022.
The two bought the property through their company, Diversion Properties in earlier this year.
According to their website, Summerville was looking for an opportunity to fill the empty movie theater building, while Petersen wanted a space to launch her own medical spa business.
“I had been looking at different properties in the area to begin my business … Dylan found the space and we began working together on it from day one,” Petersen said.
So far they have been working on the design and demolition of the space. This has required them to sell some of the seating that was left and dispose of movie paraphernalia such as curtains, concession area desks and movie screens, which turned out to be solely white sheets on the wall.
The movie magic of Cinema 6 came to a halt when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world. Unable to stay in business, the theater closed its doors in 2020.
Before the property was turned into a movie theater in 1988, it had thrived as The Stratford Hotel. That was until 1977, when the hotel caught fire, killing 16 people.
Nearly 45 years later, the cause of the fire is still unknown. According to previous Daily News coverage, some assumed it was arson while others thought it could have been an electrical issue.
The hotel had its grand opening in 1913 and operated for over 60 years. Petersen and Summerville wanted to honor this history of their hometown, which is why they named their new location The Stratford.
The Stratford will be a business association focusing on health, wellness and beauty businesses and practices. This means instead of renting out spaces in the building, prospective businesses will purchase their space and then pay association dues.
Petersen was not sure yet how often dues would be paid or how much they would be, but was confident this would be a better plan than renting the space.
Currently, their goal is to open doors in the fall, however there are only two businesses currently set to be running by then: Whit Aesthetics and Birchem Therapeutic. This would mean only two out of the six spots in The Stratford would be paying association dues initially.
Petersen said they were looking at financial options including applying for grants or talking to the Breckenridge Port Authority. She mentioned that Summerville was taking the lead on this side of the project.
Breckenridge City Administrator Renae Smith said the project has been talked about with the Port Authority’s executive committee, but has yet to be brought before the entire board. However, she was positive this project would have a beneficial economic boost for the city.
“This [The Stratford] would certainly bring more people here for the services,” Smith said. “It will lead to a domino effect; people stopping by for these services will then possibly eat at a restaurant or fill up their gas in the city. It’s a win-win situation.”
The two confirmed businesses within The Stratford so far include nonsurgical, medical-grade procedures from Whit Aesthetics and massage therapy, yoga, and nutrition services from Birchem Therapeutic.
Petersen said she wants to get a nail salon and a hair salon in the building, as well. She mentioned the lack of these services in Breckenridge, leading many people to travel if they want their hair or nails done.
“We’re looking to fill the hair and nail void in Breckenridge,” Petersen said.
While they won’t be open for at least another five months, Petersen already has a vision of the vibe any patrons will get to experience. “I like to think of it as timeless meeting modern,” she said.
The Stratford has three available spaces for sale currently and the business owners are looking to fill it with other like-minded business owners with great products and services alike.
Wilkin County Reporter
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