Will Hinckley become a Twin Cities suburb? 
Many questions remain about Hinckley’s future. Continued population growth along the I-35 corridor—facilitated by an easy seventy-minute commute from Hinckley to the Twin Cities—is likely to dramatically change the landscape. Subdivisions are already being built around Hinckley and a Wal-Mart has opened in Pine City, 15 miles to the south. While some hope that a growing population will bring more shoppers and businesses to Hinckley’s historic downtown, others fear that a giant discount retailer like Wal-Mart or Menards will eventually open in the township and take shoppers away from downtown stores. Most believe that continued suburban-style population growth will diminish Hinckley's unique small-town character and further bind it to the Twin Cities metropolitan area to the south.
What happens if casino business suffers?
Hinckley's largest employer, Grand Casino, is currently prospering but will face increased competition for gamblers if additional casinos are built around the state. Some project that Grand Casino Hinckley would lose up to 50% of its revenue if the governor’s proposed state-run metro casino or if the proposed Mall of America casino were to open. This would not only be devastating to the casino’s owner, the Mille Lacs band of Ojibwe, but would also severely hurt the city of Hinckley: The casino and town are now dependent on each other for their well-being. The casino currently employs 1,700 workers, approximately 85% of whom are non-indians. Casino management believes that large layoffs would be the only way for the casino to cut costs in order to survive when competing against a state-tribal casino. Any new casino in Minnesota would force many casino workers and their families out of the area, hurting property values and the local tax base (Goff, Bob. Telephone interview. March 15, 2005). Over the last decade, the city of Hinckley has continually invested in upgrading its infrastructure in order to better support the casino: today 75% of the community’s public water and sewer capacity is used by the casino. If casino traffic declined significantly, the city would be left to struggle with excess water and sewer capacity and to pay for the system’s upkeep and debt service (Ausmus, Jim. Personal interview. March 31, 2005).
Can Hinckley's "Spirit of 1894" be rekindled? 
To make Hinckley's continued economic health less dependent on the casino, many local residents are hoping to develop attractions that will supplement the casino. Civic leaders and groups such as the Lions Club are involved in the Hinckley Fire Brigade, an organization that hopes to summon the “Spirit of 1894” that enabled Hinckley residents to rebuild their town after the devastating fire. While the group is in its infancy, it hopes that Hinckley will eventually follow the example of other towns that revitalized their historic districts with antique stores, restaurants, and bed and breakfasts. The group believes that Hinckley’s historic downtown can be made attractive to visitors because of its proximity and accessibility to the Twin Cities and its rich and unique history. Those involved in the Fire Brigade see downtown revitalization as the best way to preserve Hinckley’s unique history and sense of place even as the Twin Cities’ suburbs extend farther and farther up I-35.
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