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City of Gem Lake Comprehensive Plan Page 9 3.10 Employment and Economic Base The City of Gem Lake currently has more job opportunities than the population could reasonably be expected to support (Table 3-3). The nature of commercial development and employment opportunities is generally geared to a trade area much larger than Gem Lake. Auto dealerships are the dominant commercial enterprises with ‘Highway Service” establishments, such as automotive or marine accessories or repair services constituting a large share of remaining commercial activity. Due to the City’s small population, there is very little in the way of commercial development at this stage of the community’s development geared to serving the resident population. 3.11 Development of Region Serving Facilities Within in the last ten years, region serving facilities have continued to improve and expand in ways that help to shape, and sometimes accelerate development in and around the City of Gem Lake. Examples include the following: • The interstate highway system located in close proximity to Gem Lake has been expanded to accommodate an ever increasing traffic volume. Interstate freeways I-694 and I-35E come together in the area, locating Gem Lake close to a major freeway interchange, with nearby on and off ramps. The two freeways are now part of a huge renovation project, centered near Gem Lake, which is called “unweave the weave.” This renovation is design to allow a greater number of drivers to safely use the highways each day. • Two large regional shopping malls now serve the area, Maplewood Mall, located approximately two miles away, and Rosedale Mall in Roseville, located approximately seven miles away. Both malls have extended strip mall facilities surrounding them, making each a regional shopping district for the area. • Several smaller but equally as important retail shopping areas have reached fruition in the area. They include but are not limited to the shopping area located at the 35 E and County Road E intersection, which includes a Target, a Wal-Mart and other assorted facilities; and the charming downtown White Bear Shopping area, which has undergone a facelift in the past decade. • The City of Maplewood now plays host to an extended health care zone about five miles to the south of the City of Gem Lake surrounding St. John’s Hospital, which includes a large number of doctors’ offices and healthcare clinic and facilities. These recently constructed medical facilities include Allina Clinic, Urgency Room, Midwest ENT and Summit Orthopedics.