Kraus-Anderson breaks ground at Boundary Waters

Kraus-Anderson Construction Company has broken ground for the new 40,000-square-foot headquarters for the National Park Service at the gateway to the Boundary Waters.

The new $11 million NPS headquarters is part of a $15 million development near International Falls that will also include a new Voyageurs Heritage Center, Irv Anderson Amphitheatre and tour boat. The boat, "The Voyageur," was christened by the National Park Service and city officials at a groundbreaking ceremony held Sept. 26. "The Voyageur" will be moored at the new headquarters and will provide tours to tourists to the facility.

The late Minnesota Rep. Irv Anderson's vision was to see a Voyageur's Heritage Center as a way of increasing awareness of the voyageurs' route and fur trade with native peoples, which contributed significantly to the opening of North American to European settlement.