Ground Level Reviving Minnesota Relics

It looms in the heart of town, perhaps an old school or a hotel, stone or brick, big and empty. Infrastructure from the past but no longer in demand, it occupies high ground, an architect-designed, iconic building made of solid local materials. It once was a town's soul. Now it's a problem.

Residents in hundreds of Minnesota towns in recent years have wrestled with what to do with prominent old buildings that no longer define the community. The efficiency of demolition weighs against an instinct to preserve. Many have struggled to find new uses, to create new souls.

Through ambition and imagination and energy, schools have turned into senior living facilities, and hotels have become art centers. Churches have become bookstores, and creameries have become coffee and quilt shops. Many others have fallen to the bulldozer.

This Ground Level project portrays the difficulties, the angst, the cost and the lessons learned by people making an effort to refresh their towns by saving an icon.

Photos by Ann Arbor Miller - Text by Ann Arbor Miller and Jennifer Vogel

All over the state, small cities contend with historical buildings that no longer serve their original purposes. As rural populations change in Minnesota, schools become obsolete, churches close, small downtown hotels no longer draw a clientele. Sometimes, thanks to hard work and a bit of luck, these buildings are given new life, whether as an arts center, a coffee shop or senior housing.

But redevelopment money is hard to come by. Community conversations can be sticky. Alternative uses, especially those that truly mean something to a city, are hard to figure out. And because of that, sometimes old buildings fall to the wrecking ball.

Photo essays will be available starting on Sunday July 7, and more will be released in coming days.

Click the city names to start

The Conversation on iconic buildings: Only the private sector will do

Ground Level asked: How does a community decide what to do with an old iconic building? We got back some responses from people who have wrestled with the question on a very personal basis (see some of the buildings to the right). What we heard from folks in places like Hokah, St. Paul and Little Falls is that you need a groundswell from the community to restore these old buildings. This also implies that government's role must be very limited and, yet, public assistance must help the cause.

Take these comments:

• ►"One thing I feel very strongly about after watching it happen numerous times is that private homes should rarely if ever be gifted to cities...I do feel there needs to be more financial incentive and/or funding to help private owners rehab old buildings." - Mary Warner, Little Falls.

• ►"Preserving the past does not always equate to saving money. Preservation / adaptation can be and will be expensive -- it is wise to be prepared about future costs." - Marie Dranttel, Saint Peter.

• ►"(Communities strike the balance between preserving history and saving money)Through private, individual initiative. Where government must be relied upon for funding, it's much more difficult and contentious." - Tom Schroeder, St. Paul.

• ◢Full responses can be read by clicking here.

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Ground Level: a Minnesota Public Radio News project examining community issues across Minnesota