Minnesota's Largest Candy Store to move

JORDAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - For nearly 50 years, Minnesota's Largest Candy Store has been at the same location off Highway 169 near Jordan. But soon the iconic landmark will have a new home.

"It's uncharted territory for me with the store. There's just so many moving parts. There's a few sleepless nights based on it," said owner Robert Wagner.

Wagner says a new interchange at Highway 169 and Delaware Avenue would have closed access to the store from the highway.

He says the county offered to build a new frontage road to his property, but it would have been expensive and could have hurt his business.

"The road had all kinds of problems, but it had to be built because we had to have access," said Wagner.

County officials decided to do a land swap with Wagner, giving him a farm field about 1,000 feet from his current location on the other side of Highway 169, in exchange for his property.

They say the deal will allow Wagner to expand his business and connect it to city services like sewer and water, which he is currently unable to do because he is surrounded by wetlands.

"I think it's a win-win. I think this is going to be beneficial for both the candy store and the community out there," said Scott County Transportation Services Director Lisa Freese.

Wagner says the new store will be 2.5 times the size of the current one, and it will still be a big yellow barn.

When it's finished, Wagner hopes it will be the largest candy store in the world, not just in Minnesota.

"I hope we can take some of the magic that I believe we've created here, and take it over there and make it bigger and better and have those little kids come in and explode," said Wagner.

The current candy store will remain open while the new one is built, which will take about three years.

Once it moves, the current building will be demolished and the property will be converted back into wetlands.