News


Help Bring Back the Metropolitan Building

On the evening of May 31, 1890, the upper echelons of Minneapolis society gathered for the grand opening of the Northwestern Guaranty Loan Building—later renamed the Metropolitan Building. When revelers entered the building, which stood on the southwest corner of Second Avenue and South Third Street, they found the interior festooned with palms, hanging plants, floral designs, and bunting. A band played for dancing in the roof-top garden. The full-height (12-story) atrium was illuminated by colored lime lights that produced “a most happy effect,” according to a souvenir book published afterwards. The anonymous author of the book stated, without an ounce of intended negativity, that the building was “the most pretentious office building in the city” and that it would “stand for generations as a monument to the intelligence and prosperity of the community.” Louis Menage, owner of the Northwestern Guaranty Loan Company, and E. Townsend Mix, the building’s architect, must have been very proud. Their creation was the tallest building west of the Mississippi and received nationwide press coverage. Coming as it did at the close of the decade of Minneapolis’s fastest-ever growth (the city’s population quadrupled during the 1880s), many people saw the Guaranty Loan Building as a symbol of Minneapolis’ coming of age as a city.

But, oh, how time changed perceptions! The Metropolitan’s ornate Richardsonian Romanesque architecture was anathema to the Modernist movement that was just taking shape as the building was completed. Though the Viennese Modernist Adolf Loos probably never saw the Guaranty Loan Building, it was typical of what he had in mind when he entitled a 1909 essay “Ornament and Crime.” In his 1992 book, Lost Twin Cities, Larry Millett reported that, by the late 1950s, an attorney for the Minneapolis Housing and Redevelopment Authority called the Metropolitan “a monstrosity in the eyes of most observers.” Attitudes toward the Metropolitan were not just related to architectural style. The building fell into disrepute partly because, by the mid-20th century, its neighborhood had degenerated into the city’s skid row district—an embarrassment that city leaders wanted out of their sight. And so, Modernist theory and the concept of urban renewal worked hand-in-hand to toll the Metropolitan’s death knell. The building was demolished in 1961.

The carved greenish-grey New Hampshire granite that had formed the first three stories of the Metropolitan’s exterior was hauled away and dumped in the back yard of an ornamental stone company in Delano, Minnesota. There it sat—increasingly overgrown and largely forgotten—until this year, when the stone yard was purchased by Combined Aggregate Enterprises LLC (CAE). In May, company executives, e-mailed several people in the local preservation community to say they hoped the ornamental stone could be returned to Minneapolis and re-used in some way that would honor the history of the Metropolitan. They also said they could not afford to donate the stone, but were willing to sell it below market value. Since then, they have stated on several occasions that this offer cannot stand indefinitely. At some point, they will need to sell the stone for commercial purposes. Most likely, that would mean crushing the stone and selling it for road-building.

In response, Jack Byers, manager of preservation and design in the Minneapolis Department of Community Planning and Economic Development, asked members of the Twin Cities preservation community to form an ad hoc committee. The committee, which has named its cause the Metropolitan Ruins Park Project (MRPP), traveled to Delano and surveyed CAE’s huge pile of Metropolitan Building stone (rough estimate: 15 ft. wide x 10 ft. high x 300 feet long!). MRPP soon settled on an objective of recovering only the stones that formed the Metropolitan’s 2nd Ave. entrance and re-erecting those stones as a free-standing arch on public land, preferably near the building’s original site.

Financial and logistical arrangements are moving forward. The Minneapolis Parks Foundation is serving as the project’s fiscal agent and has agreed to be the near-term owner of the stones. In early July, MRPP member Dean Phillips met with Kestner and Sleypen. They negotiated a price of $100,000 for the stones that formed both of the building’s main entrances. (The building’s two main entrances looked nearly alike, but the hand-hewn pieces are not interchangeable. So, to be sure of getting one entrance, both must be acquired. Sorting will be done later.)

MRPP member Ginny Lackovic, an architect with HGA and a member of the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission, has led the effort to identify the individual stones. She estimates that about 80% of the stones needed to reconstruct the entrance have been found. If some pieces are not found, infill pieces can be made to complete the arch.

Of course, the arch will not re-appear in Minneapolis unless the $100,000 can be raised very soon. The MRPP committee is urging all preservation-minded people to consider donating to this cause. The Phillips Family has kicked off the fund-raising effort by donating $25,000. This money will be used to acquire the first loads of stone, which will be stored in a safe place while the project moves forward.

You can help bring the Metropolitan Building—or at least a good chunk of it—back to Minneapolis! We are one-fourth of the way toward the $100,000 needed to purchase the stones that made up the building’s main entrance. If these funds cannot be raised, the stone may be crushed and sold as road-building gravel. To donate, contact the Minneapolis Parks Foundation, 3954 Bryant Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55409, 612-822-2656, info@mplsparksfoundation.org

News30 Aug 2010 10:45 pm

“This Place Matters” Community Challenge

Support an Organization That Matters to You – Join the 2010 This Place Matters Community Challenge!

Is there an organization in your region that could use $25,000?  Maybe they’d like to hear about the 2010 This Place Matters Community Challenge!

As you may know, This Place Matters is the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s public awareness campaign that has helped thousands of people, communities, and preservation-minded folks across the country express what places really matter to them.

This summer, we’ve created the This Place Matters Community Challenge to help non-profit preservation organizations harness the power of this campaign, to raise awareness and mobilize people in your area, and to start a conversation about what matters in your community – along with the chance to win a $25,000 cash award!

Participating in the Challenge is easy. All you need to do is:

1.        Fill out our easy online application.*

2.       Select a place that will galvanize folks in your community to get involved.

3.       Post a picture of the place and tell your story in our easy to use PreservationNation template.

4.       Start the conversation and get as many folks involved as possible!

We’ll provide all the tools you’ll need to generate support, including sample emails, Facebook posts and tweets to get out the vote, and sample press releases to help you get local media involved.  We’ll even tell you how to start your own Facebook page if you don’t currently have one.

The non-profit organization that gets the most people to register their support by through their PreservationNation page by September 15, 2010, will win a cash award of $25,000!

PreservationNation pages go live and voting begins on August 15, 2010, so be sure to join the This Place Matters Community Challenge today!

Have questions? Email ThisPlaceMatters@nthp.org.

*Proof of 501c3 non-profit status is required to participate.

This Place Matters is generously supported by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company and National Trust Insurance Services, LLC.  National Trust Insurance Services, LLC is the nation’s leading insurance agency specifically designed to offer comprehensive insurance solutions to historic property owners and preservation organizations.  To learn more about how they can help your organization, visit http://www.nationaltrust-insurance.org/

News12 Aug 2010 11:07 am

26th Annual Minnesota Preservation Awards

Please join the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota in honoring this year’s outstanding preservation projects at the 26th annual  Minnesota Preservation Awards.  The event is taking place as part of the annual Statewide Historic Preservation Conference, held this year in historic Winona.

Join us for hors d’oeuvres, the awards presentation, and a tour of the new Laird Norton Addition at the Winona County History Center, designed by HGA Architects.

Place:        

Winona County History Center
160 Johnson Street, Winona

Date:         

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Time:         

5:30 pm Registration, Hors d’oeuvres, Tours
6:15 pm Program
7:30 pm Dessert, Reception, Tours

Tickets:  $25 per person

Registration:     Call 651.293.9047 or register online by Tuesday, September 14th, 2010.


News10 Aug 2010 11:34 am

Nominate your city to the NTHP Distinctive Destinations

Nominate a Distinctive Destination Today!

Celebrate places that matter by nominating unique cities and towns across America that offer cultural and recreational experiences different from the typical vacation destination. From dynamic downtowns and stunning architecture to cultural diversity and commitments to historic preservation, sustainability, and revitalization, the selected destinations boast a richness of character and exude an authentic sense of place.

Since this annual program started in 2000, a number of unique Midwest vacation destinations have been awarded spots on the list.  St. Louis, MO and Cedar Falls, IA both made the 2010 list, and Marquette, MI was awarded the 2010 Dozen Distinctive Destination Fan Favorite!

Applications for the 2011 Dozen Distinctive Destinations are now available at www.PreservationNation.org/ddd. Spread the word and encourage our sites, partners and friends to nominate a Distinctive Destination. From a feature in Preservation magazine to extensive media coverage to prominent placement on our website and much more, the winning destinations receive tangible benefits from this positive program that highlights the work of their community and promotes heritage tourism. Applications are due by September 10th and all the information you’ll need can be found on our website.

Contact Joelle Schatz at Dozen@nthp.org or 202.588.6141 with any questions.

News08 Jul 2010 12:27 pm

Minnesota Main Street Application Materials

Minnesota Main Street Application Materials

We are excited to be launching Minnesota Main Street to assist local communities in their commercial district revitalization efforts. This first year, we have a very short application window for communities to apply and be accepted as Designated Minnesota Main Street programs due to funding time constraints.

The following are the Minnesota Main Street Application Materials:

MN MS Application Cover Letter 2010

Associate Member Registration Form 2010

Designated MN Main Street Application 2010 (PDF Format) – Due by 5:00 p.m. on June 21

Designated MN Main Street Application 2010 (Word Format) – Due by 5:00 p.m. on June 21

Designated MN Main Street Selection Criteria 2010

Memorandum of Understanding DRAFT 2010

The difference between “Designated MN Main Street Communities” and “Associate Members”…

Designated Mnnesota Main Street Program
This is a local commercial district revitalization program that uses the Four-Point approach, has broad community support, paid staff, and meets (or will soon be able to meet) other standards.

Associate Member Community of Minnesota Main Street
This may range from a community just learning about Main Street with a group of volunteers to a long-standing downtown development group with years of success under its belt.

We want to ensure that we are helping communities succeed with this model of downtown revitalization. To provide us with the necessary time to make this important selection, we are requesting that the following application be filled out and returned to the office of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota no later than 5 p.m. on June 21, 2010.

Contact Emily at enorthey@mnpreservation.org or 651.293.9047 x 4 with questions about the application process.

News28 May 2010 12:33 pm

First 10 Most Endangered property of 2010 moves towards “saved” column

Voters in Jackson County overwhelmingly defeated a proposal to demolish the existing Jackson County Resource Center (formerly the Jackson High School) and construct a new building in its place. The final vote tally was 1,657 against the proposal, and 717 in favor.

The Jackson County Resource Center is on the Alliance’s 2010 list of the state’s 10 Most Endangered Historic Places. The former school building, which has housed county human services offices since the 1990s, was built as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project in 1938. The building is not yet listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Read more about the vote and the historic school building that was at the center of the issue on the 10 Most Endangered page, or online at the Jackson County Pilot.

News26 May 2010 12:46 pm

State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit Signed by Governor Pawlenty

Bill Signing Ceremony for Minnesota State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, April 1, 2010

State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit signed into law today by Governor Tim Pawlenty through Jobs Stimulus Bill

Minnesota joins 30 other states in catalyzing job-creation through preservation projects

Click on the following link for answers to frequently asked questions about the new program: Minnesota Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit FAQ-5-07-2010.

Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 11:00 a.m., Governor Tim Pawlenty signed into law the Minnesota Jobs Stimulus Bill, a diverse array of tax incentives to stimulate job growth in Minnesota.  The bill is estimated to create between 12,000 and 20,000 jobs across the state.

A significant feature of the bill is the State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit, an incentive to stimulate green job growth, increase local tax base, and revitalize urban and main street communities through reinvestment in historic properties.  This provision is estimated to create between 1,500 and 3,000 construction jobs annually if Minnesota is consistent with other state programs.

Minnesota’s state historic preservation tax credit will allow a state income tax credit equal to 20 percent of the cost of rehabilitating a qualifying historic property.  The program mirrors the federal rehabilitation tax credit, a provision that has been in place since 1976.  Projects are eligible to claim the state credit if they are allowed the federal credit, a program which requires properties to be listed in the National Register of Historic Preservation to qualify.  Minnesota currently has 1,600 listings in the National Register representing almost 7,000 individual properties.  Projects must be income-producing to use the credit, therefore, homesteaded residential projects are not eligible.  Our law also creates innovation in the tax credit market by allowing a developer to choose either a certificated, refundable credit or a grant, which will stimulate nonprofit use of the incentive, and also can be used against the insurance premium tax widening the investor pool. Click here to link to the Jobs Stimulus bill language.

The state historic tax credit program encourages private investment in underutilized historic properties in both urban and rural Minnesota, generating jobs and stimulating local and state economic development. Thirty other states—including Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, Missouri, and Kansas—have similar programs that were incentivizing Minnesota investors to develop in those states.  By signing the uncapped state historic rehabilitation tax credit into law today, Governor Pawlenty ensured a competitive advantage for Minnesota in our region.

Historic rehabilitation creates more jobs because it is inherently labor-intensive instead of material intensive.  At a time when unemployment among members of the construction trades is at a high level, this measure provides good-paying jobs in areas where employment is desperately needed.  Approximately 60-70% of rehabilitation construction costs are labor resulting in thousands of good-paying construction jobs created around the nation through historic rehab projects.  In Rhode Island, direct construction employment generated by rehab credit projects was 5,334 over two years. A total of 6,871 jobs and $60 million in tax revenue were created in the first four years of Missouri’s tax credit. In Missouri, the cost of the tax credit was recouped in payroll taxes alone. A March, 2010, study by Rutgers University report found that the federal tax credit program stimulated $85 billion in rehabilitation activity nationally and 1.8 million new jobs over the program’s 36-year lifetime.

State historic tax credits create more jobs per dollar output than either manufacturing or new construction.  Realtor and economist Donovan Rypkema recently estimated the potential for job creation in Minnesota based on his study of the highly-successful Missouri state historic preservation tax credit.  Rypkema, presenting to the Minnesota Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, reported that historic rehab projects in our state would create 5.7 more jobs per $1 million in output than manufacturing, 4 more jobs than road construction, and 2 more jobs than new construction.

Research demonstrating the economic impact of state historic preservation tax credit programs shows compelling evidence that such programs more than pay their own way. A 2009 report by the Abell Foundation found that Maryland’s state historic tax credit has returned $8.53 in revenue for each dollar of the state’s tax credit investment and has generated $1.74 billion in total economic activity. Between one-third and one-half of that revenue was returned to the state in payroll and sales taxes prior to the state’s issuance of tax credits. Missouri’s data shows $1.373 billion in total economic activity in the 11 years of their state rehab tax credit, or a four-to-one return on investment to the citizens of Missouri.  Research suggesting that similar results could be expected in Minnesota has been compiled by the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs.

Bonnie McDonald, executive director of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota, speaks on the impact of the state historic tax credit at the bill signing ceremony, April 1, 2010

“Today is a banner day for the construction, design, and preservation industries in Minnesota,” said Bonnie McDonald, executive director of the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota.  “With the tax credit in place, we will put skilled people back to work, promote green jobs through the sustainable practice of historic preservation, and reinvest in assets that are truly unique to our communities.”

The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota and the Minnesota Historical Society have led a broad coalition of local government, business, and community organizations in promoting the state historic rehabilitation tax credit since 2000 when the legislation was first introduced.  In 2009, the Alliance and the Minnesota Historical Society joined the Building Jobs Coalition, a diverse group of contractors, building trades, architects, engineers, economic developers, and public officials committed to investment in Minnesota’s design and building industry through strategic legislation and public policy. The historic rehabilitation tax credit was a key provision of the legislative agenda brought to legislators by the Coalition in 2009 and 2010 to put the design and construction industry back to work.

The Alliance, the Society, and the Building Jobs Coalition thank Governor Tim Pawlenty for signing this catalyzing incentive into law.  We also want to recognize the significant leadership that led to this bill’s passage from Senators Tom Bakk and Jim Metzen, Representative Ann Lenczewski, Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, and Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller.  The state historic tax credit will be coordinated through the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, which will issue application materials in the near future.

PLEASE take a moment to thank your state Senator, Representative, and Governor Pawlenty for establishing Minnesota’s state historic preservation tax credit.  The House of Representatives passed the legislation 112-20: click here to read if your Representative voted for the legislation (read page 9761).  The Senate passed the legislation on a vote of 58-3: click here to read if your Senator voted for the bill (read page 9254).  You can visit with your state Senator and Representative while they are in your community over the Easter / Passover break this week or put in a phone call to their office.  Click here to visit the Minnesota Historical Society’s History Matters page providing access to your legislators’ contact information. Click here to visit the Minnesota Historical Society’s History Matters page with a thank you letter template about passage of the state rehabilitation tax credit.

A Word copy of the Press Release can be found here.

News26 Apr 2010 02:14 pm

Thank you!

For purchasing a ticket to the 2010 Minnesota Preservation Awards. We look forward to seeing you on September 16th in Winona.

News10 Jan 2010 11:34 am

Kasson School Reuse Study Website

This year the City of Kasson and Kasson Alliance for Restoration have commissioned a building reuse study to determine possible new uses for the historic Kasson Elementary School building and site. The reuse team led by John Lauber & Co of Minneapolis has created a website to document and publish the study process and engage interested citizens and stakeholders.

News29 Apr 2009 09:30 am