East St. Cloud Adds New Light Display

(KNSI) – Let there be holiday light!

The east side of St. Cloud is adorned with the glow of brand-new LED bulbs depicting snowflakes and stars. Mayor Dave Kleis officially flipped the switch at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday to turn on the new display. He says the partnership between businesses and city government helped deliver a major upgrade to the East St. Germain corridor.

“We put lights up every year, but they’re old. So, we decided this year through some grants, and the east end businesses, and the city, we were able to put up some holiday lights.”

Public works officials had to add electrical wiring to many of the street posts where the displays hang to make it all possible. Kleis stresses that the effort is worth it, and will help bring the east and west ends of the historic business district together.

Speaking from Iron Street Distillery, he notes, “This is downtown. This is the east end of downtown, and that’s why the life and the private businesses that are investing their own treasure is really why we partner and collaborate because we want all these businesses to be successful. East/west. The river doesn’t divide downtown. It really connects the two.”

A group of residents, business owners, and city officials took a walking tour Tuesday evening of the display, which extends from Lincoln Avenue to the Veterans Bridge.