The new Maurices headquarters is on track to open on April 25, 2016 providing a new home to its 450 corporate office employees located in Duluth. While the majority of the building is dedicated to Maurices operations, three locations were available for lease. The two cornerstone locations along the street level of Superior Street at each end of the building have now been filled. Blue Cross joins Minnesota Power Employees Credit Union (MPECU), which was recently announced as a tenant in the headquarters building.
“Blue Cross is a great fit for our new headquarters, given our overall commitment to employee and community wellness,” said George Goldfarb, Maurices President & CEO. “Blue Cross will be offering new opportunities to learn more about health coverage while providing a community gathering space to discuss health and wellness topics.”
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Retail Center
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Retail Center is scheduled to open this summer. Duluth will be the third Blue Cross retail center in the state and the first location outside the Twin Cities metro area. Blue Cross currently operates retail centers in Edina and Roseville, Minnesota.
Similar to the Twin Cities locations, the Duluth store will offer opportunities to receive face-to-face customer service, enroll in a Blue Cross health plan, and participate in a variety of year-round health and wellness activities. The store will employ five new positions, in addition to serving as the new workplace for six current Blue Cross employees based in Duluth.
“Our store will have a clear sense of community and history,” said Michael Guyette, president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “Blue Cross has been part of the Duluth region for decades, and we wanted our retail space to reflect that bond. We could not be more excited about being part of Maurices’ new Headquarters building and look forward to expanding our role in the Duluth business community.”
About Maurices
Maurices located in downtown Duluth since 1931, is a subsidiary of Ascena Retail Group, Inc. (NASDAQ – ASNA), which includes Maurices, Catherines, Dressbarn, Justice, Lane Bryant, Ann Taylor and LOFT. It’s the fashion store for women who embrace who they are and want to express their unique style. Maurices, is a multi-channel retailer, currently operating 980 stores in 46 states and Canada.
The new Maurices Headquarters, located at 425 West Superior Street, will be approximately 200,000 square feet, stand 11 stories in height and span an entire city block. The new headquarters will allow for Maurices continued growth.
The $80 million project is the largest downtown commercial development in Duluth’s history. Along with Maurices’ $60-plus million investment, the City of Duluth and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development committed $20 million for the public parking ramp and skywalk infrastructure through a matching grant program.
Maurices has been headquartered in downtown Duluth since 1931 and currently occupies space in three-plus buildings. One of the buildings is being donated to UMD and discussions are in process for the other two buildings.
About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, with headquarters in the St. Paul suburb of Eagan, was chartered in 1933 as Minnesota’s first health plan and continues to carry out its charter mission today: to promote a wider, more economical and timely availability of health services for the people of Minnesota. A nonprofit, taxable organization, Blue Cross is the largest health plan based in Minnesota, covering 2.6 million members in Minnesota and nationally through its health plans or plans administered by its affiliated companies. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, headquartered in Chicago. Go to bluecrossmn.com to learn more.