New businesses coming to Rexburg

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK) - From dog parks to ballparks to new businesses coming to town, Rexburg Mayor Jerry Merrill tells us there's a lot in store for the community.

"You know Rexburg, there's a lot of interest in coming here, and it's just kind of a mixed bag because a lot of people like the small town feel and so you know they don't really want it to grow a lot,” Merrill said.

Merrill says Harbor Freight is opening a store in the old Walmart building, a new medical office is being remodeled in the old Cal Ranch space, and other companies that can't be mentioned yet are working on making their way to town.

"A lot of our buildings are being filled up and we have businesses that have expressed an interest in coming here looking for office space," he said.

Some of the businesses interested in coming are tech companies that could provide great jobs for the community according to Merrill.

"That's what we've been trying to work on, is attracting businesses that have good paying jobs for the people here so that there's more opportunity for our children or grandchildren to be able to stay here if they want to," Merrill said.

As for current projects in the works, Merrill says the dog park in Nature Park should be done in a couple of weeks, and the Quad Complex ballparks should be done by next summer.

They’re also working on an entrepreneurial center to help start up businesses with the hopes that some of them will stay in Rexburg and continue to grow the economy.

"We're trying to kind of help preserve this small town feel the friendliness that we have here, but yet still provide some opportunity for, you know, for the people who want to stay here," Merrill said.

The city also just installed two new water wells as well as a new water tank that will store more water for the residents. Merrill said during the hot parts of the day the water tanks were all being emptied and the city was having trouble keeping up with the demand.