The former Vinnie’s property on South Highway 75 in Luverne is changing hands, and the blighted white building to the north of the restaurant will be demolished.
At Monday morning’s meeting of the Luverne Economic Development Authority, a $5,000 demolition grant was approved for Peter Dikun, who purchased the property from restauranteur Leroy Austin of Garretson.
Dikun owns The Flower Shop, LLC, a medical marijuana dispensary in Sioux Falls, and also Dent Force auto body repair in Dell Rapids, where he lives.
Vince Gacke opened Vinnie’s in 2006 and in 2021 sold it to Austin who continued to run it as Vinnie’s until last year. Now the wooden storage building will be demolished under new ownership.
According to EDA notes, it is deteriorating and the cost of repairs outweighs the value of the building.
Meanwhile, Dikun will prepare the location for his own business venture. The dilapidated building will be demolished this summer, and new construction may begin next spring. It’s unclear if the former Vinnie’s building will remain.
Dikun said he’s aware of speculation that he’ll open a Luverne location of the Flower Shop dispensary, but he said those plans aren’t certain.
“I bought it as investment property. Maybe I’ll find a tenant to lease it until plans fall into place in the next year and a half,” he said Monday.
“It could be many things. It could be a dispensary. It could be a bar … or maybe office space. Sometimes you shoot from the hip and in this case the price was right.”
According to his website, The Flower Shop in Sioux Falls is a medical marijuana dispensary that offers five different strains of cannabis flower buds, a limited selection of edibles and some CBD products.
Whether the Luverne location is a dispensary or some other business, Dikun said he looks forward to being part of Luverne’s growth.
“I’m excited about the buzz around this,” he said. “And I’m super excited to part of the community.”
Cannabis law
Gov. Tim Walz signed into law June 6 a bill that legalizes marijuana in Minnesota. It legalizes the possession and use of marijuana for Minnesotans 21 and older.
Many elements of the law, such as personal possession, use and home cultivation, go into effect July 1. However, legal retail sales might not begin until early 2025.
The law authorizes the production and retail sale of marijuana flower, concentrates, topicals and edible products, such as candy and beverages. It also permits the sale of immature cannabis plants and seeds, as well as hemp-derived THC products.