This summer, the
Logan Park Neighborhood Association (LPNA) in Northeast Minneapolis organized a task force to preserve a vintage brick building that previously housed the main office of the
Minneapolis Public Schools.
The school district recently moved its headquarters to a new $41 million facility in North Minneapolis, according to
MPR.
Over the past couple of years, LPNA has brainstormed the possibilities for the old building at 807 Northeast Broadway.
Pat Vogel, who co-chairs the task force with LPNA leader Paula Allen, says “The neighborhood group is very interested in what happens to the building,” adding, “It represents a major chunk of property near our homes.”
Some ideas they have floated, informally, include a full-service health clinic, a fitness center, a small-business incubator, and a commercial kitchen, she says. Although their ideas vary wildly, “The essence of it is that we would like to see something that provides opportunities and resources,” such as jobs or services, she says.
Right now, the school district is working with the city’s office of Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) on a plan for the building. “We’re hoping to be a part of the process,” she says. “We want to work with CPED to come up with a mutually beneficial solution.” The neighborhood group favors keeping the building as opposed to tearing it down and rebuilding on the site, she says.
Ryan Cos., which assessed the building’s condition earlier on, concluded that it was in good shape, and that it was more cost-effective to rehab it, she says. At this point, however, it’s too early to say what might happen with the building, she adds.
The school district is still packing up some of its offices in the building, while CPED is doing its due diligence for the site.
In the coming weeks, a marketing plan that incorporates the neighborhood’s feedback will be out, she says.
Also, a class at the
Minneapolis College of Art and Design is joining in the planning process. Usually the class deals with global issues, and this will be its first local project, Vogel says, adding that it will play some part in the decision-making process.
“We’re a building with a dream in search of a developer,” she says. “We want a developer that matches our purposes.”
Source: Pat Vogel
Writer: Anna Pratt