Family Plans Inclusive Businesses, Activities to Revive Bemidji Mall
A Nov. 17 LPTV business feature profiled a local family’s effort to bring new life to Bemidji’s Paul Bunyan Mall, highlighting two planned enterprises including Sensories, a shop and play space designed for neurodivergent customers. The initiative matters for Beltrami County because small, community focused ventures can increase foot traffic, create jobs, and offer a model for revitalizing underused retail space in a region with roughly 46,000 residents.
On Nov. 17, a business feature on LPTV detailed a family led effort to reenergize Paul Bunyan Mall in Bemidji by introducing two new planned businesses and a strategy focused on inclusive, activity driven storefronts. Among the ventures is Sensories, a retail and play concept tailored to neurodivergent customers, which the family described as part of a broader push to make the mall more welcoming and centered on experiences rather than purely transactional retail.
The report situates the family’s work against broader challenges facing local retail. Changing consumer habits and competition from online platforms have reduced traditional mall traffic across the country, prompting owners and communities to rethink uses for enclosed shopping centers. For Bemidji, where the mall serves a regional population hub, attracting families and niche services could help stabilize occupancy and generate repeat visits that benefit other tenants.
Economically, small, community focused businesses can produce measurable effects. Increasing dwell time and hosting activities tends to raise incidental spending at food and service businesses, and new storefronts can create part time and full time employment opportunities. For a county of roughly 46,000 people, even modest boosts in sales tax revenue matter for municipal budgets and for sustaining peripheral services that rely on retail activity.
Policy choices will influence whether this localized experiment succeeds. Local development incentives, flexible zoning for mixed uses, and small business supports including technical assistance and access to capital can lower barriers for entrepreneurs pursuing niche concepts such as inclusive play spaces. Integration with downtown Bemidji promotions and regional tourism marketing could further amplify impact, particularly during seasonal peaks.
The LPTV feature framed the family’s plan as a test case for a more activity driven mall model that prioritizes inclusion. If Sensories and the other planned business draw consistent patronage, they could offer a replicable pathway for other small cities in northern Minnesota seeking to repurpose retail assets into community centered destinations. The family outlined their vision in the Nov. 17 segment and will be watched closely by local residents and policymakers as plans move forward.
