Rochester City Council Denies Removal of Buildings from Historic District

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Rochester City Council sided with the Heritage Preservation Commission's (HPC) denial of a request to remove three buildings from the city’s Downtown Historic District. 

Read More: Rochester Commission Weighs Request to Remove Historic Buildings  

The HPC rejected the request on a unanimous vote in September. 

A proposed budget attached to the agenda item indicates the property owner was planning to build a hotel and condominiums at a downtown site, however it's unclear what the plans for the buildings are. 

Rochester City Council Votes to Keep Trio of Downtown Buildings in Historic District

The City Council voted 6-1 to deny the request from Capital Ventures LLC to remove the Odd Fellows Building on the northeast corner of 2nd Street and 1st Avenue Southwest, the former Northwestern National Bank Building (now known as Brackenridge Square), and the Olmsted County Bank and Trust Building at 7 2nd Street Southwest from the city’s historic preservation district. 

Capital Ventures LLC owns Olmsted County Bank and Trust Building and is in negotiations to acquire the two other buildings. 

In their request for removal the company argued the buildings “lack individual historical or architectural significance” and that changes made to the buildings over the years “contribute to a loss of historical integrity and original design features.” 

See Also: Eight Pounds of Meth Seized During Raid of Rochester Home 

They also contend that continuing the historic designation has caused economic hardship. 

City documents claim there is no evidence to support the claim of the buildings lacking historical significance. The agenda item also says the modifications made meet the criteria needed to keep the properties in the historic district. 

Officials also determined that the buildings did not meet the economic hardship threshold needed to remove the structures from the historic district, the agenda item says. 

Fifth Ward City Councilman Shaun Palmer was the lone nay vote. He argued the case for economic hardship had been made and that the city had already approved an addition to the Olmsted County Bank Building.