The rest stop renovation was supposed to be completed seven months ago due to project delays. The building blueprint features a circular design made of Brazilian Ipe wood and curved glass that is supposedly more energy-efficient.
In 2015, Inspiration Point Historic Wayside rest stop in Carrollton Township/Fillmore County underwent heavy restoration, costing only $1.74 million in comparison.
State Representatives Anne Neu (R-North Branch), Brian Johnson (R-Castle Rock), and Senator, Previously Representative Jason Rarick (R- Pine City) wrote a letter to Commissioner Charles A. Zelle of the Minnesota Department of Transportation back in January of 2018 sharing their concerns for the burden this massive project places on Minnesota tax payers.
“It appears you have chosen to build an opulent, overpriced facility when all that is needed is a functional building with new bathroom facilities,” the letter states. Rep. Ann Neu later said that “it just seemed like there were some extravagancies [in the project] that were unnecessary”
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Megan Olson
Megan Olson is a 2020 graduate of the University of Minnesota with degrees in political science and history. She works in public affairs in addition to serving on the Legislative Advisory Council for School District 196. She is also on the school board for FIT academy, a charter school in Apple Valley.