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Employment and Economic Base <br />The City of Gem Lake has more job opportunities than the population <br />could reasonably be expected to support. The nature of commercial <br />development and employment opportunities is generally geared to a trade <br />area much larger than Gem Lake. Auto dealerships are the dominant <br />commercial enterprises with `Highway Service" establishments, such as <br />automotive or marine accessories or repair services constituting a large <br />share of remaining commercial activity. Due to the City's small <br />population, there is very little in the way of commercial development at <br />this stage of the community's development geared to serving the resident <br />population. <br />Development of Region Serving Facilities <br />Within in the last ten years, region serving facilities have continued to <br />improve and expand in ways that help to shape, and sometimes accelerate <br />development in and around the City of Gem Lake. Examples include the <br />following: <br />a. The interstate highway system located in close proximity to Gem Lake <br />has been expanded to accommodate an ever increasing traffic volume. <br />Interstate freeways I-694 and I-35E come together in the area, locating <br />Gem Lake close to a major freeway interchange, with nearby on and <br />off ramps. The two freeways are now part of a huge renovation <br />project, centered near Gem Lake, which is called "unweave the <br />weave." This renovation is design to allow a greater number of drivers <br />to safely use the highways each day. <br />b. Two large regional shopping malls now serve the area, Maplewood <br />Mall, located approximately 2 miles away, and Rosedale Mall in <br />Roseville, located approximately 7 miles away. Both malls have <br />extended strip mall facilities surrounding them, making each a regional <br />shopping district for the area. <br />c. Several smaller but equally as important retail shopping areas have <br />reached fruition in the area. The include but are not limited to the <br />discount shopping area located at the 35 E and County Road E <br />intersection, which includes a Target, a Wal-Mart and other assorted <br />facilities; and the charming downtown White Bear Shopping area, <br />which has undergone a facelift in the past decade. <br />d. The City of Maplewood now plays host to an extended health care <br />zone about 5 miles to the south of the City of Gem Lake surrounding <br />City of Gem Lake Comprehensive Plan I page 3-6 <br />