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Greyhounds to return to state tournament

The New Ulm Cathedral Greyhounds will return to the Class A State Baseball Tournament after defeating the Springfield Tigers on Friday. It was The Tigers who won the state championship last year. This puts the Greyhounds in excellent standing going into the tournament. This will also be the third time the Greyhounds have reached the State Tournament in four years. The Journal tips its baseball cap to the Greyhounds.

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New Ulm gets creative with housing

A lack of available housing has been one of the top issues facing New Ulm for years. The city does not have enough available homes or rental space to meet the demand of people who want to live and work in the community. Recently, the city has seen a push from developers to provide more housing options. One of the more unusual projects is the Land Haven Development at 2211 Jacobs Street. The New Ulm City Council recently approved a Planned Unit Development application for Land Haven. This development is unique in that it will feature barndominiums, which are combination dwellings and storage units. These types of units are new to the community. It is also the only type of residential property located in an industrial district. This development will not address all of New Ulm’s housing needs, but it is an example of the city being willing to think outside the box to tackle the issue. The city is not depending on one option to combat the housing crisis.

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A new plan for the former Ben Franklin

The former Ben Franklin building at 126 N. Minnesota has new life again. For years the building sat unused at the center of New Ulm’s downtown. No one seemed willing to put in the work to renovate the building. Then a few years ago, a team came together to renovate it into an event center and rooftop restaurant. Unfortunately, this plan also fell through. The event center closed within a year and the restaurant moved out late last year.  It seemed like the building was destined to be another vacant property in the heart of New Ulm. However, last week it was announced Rebound Partners and Topher Jacobson are now working together to reopen the building again as three distinct venues; The Franklin, Benny’s, and Frankie’s. This latest development is a huge relief for those who want a vibrant and full downtown.