Star Tribune
Rochester adopts controversial downtown historic district
ROCHESTER – Buildings over three downtown blocks here will soon be part of a new historic district, despite concerns from elected officials and building owners.
The Rochester City Council on Monday night approved creating a downtown historic commercial district in a 4-3 vote after almost three hours of discussions.
City officials have studied whether downtown should have a historic district for more than a decade. The issue came before council members in 2019, but was tabled at the time due to concerns over financial impacts to building owners.
About 32 properties near Broadway Avenue S. qualify for preservation, meaning owners would need to go through a review process before they make major exterior changes. The buildings represent some of Rochester’s oldest properties and have been a rallying point for longtime residents who seek to maintain the city’s history.
Yet owners have continually pushed back against the district, arguing it would mandate new rules and unfunded costs while giving the city more control over their properties.
The council tabled the historic district proposal again last year, asking city staff to find more financial incentives to help owners. City staff have proposed a $1 million revolving loan program where owners can borrow up to $200,000 for preservation projects at zero interest, but owners say that doesn’t offset the extra work.
“There’s nothing in this proposal for us to champion,” said Shawn Fagan, co-owner of Fagan Studios in one of the affected buildings. “There is no value in it for us property owners.”
Fagan said owners of 28 of the 32 properties signed a petition opposing the district, all of whom are concerned about the extra financial burden.
He pointed out another city proposal to abate 10% of property taxes on the properties for 15 years would only amount to a few hundred dollars in savings. John Kruesel, a property owner who runs an antique store near Third Street SW., urged the city to instead roll back taxes altogether to offset costs.
“Just forget all of these incentive packages that are miniscule and meaningless,” he said.
Owners have pushed for grant funding in the past, but City Administrator Alison Zelms said Monday the city couldn’t meet state requirements to offer the kind of money property owners sought. Council President Brooke Carlson and Mayor Kim Norton, who serve on Destination Medical Center’s agency board, said DMC officials would likely be able to offer grants to affected property owners but were waiting for the city to create the district before committing money.
“We need this district, we want this district and we want it to have proper incentives,” Norton said, pointing out a portion of the $205 million local sales tax extension voters approved last year could be used as well.
Several council members had reservations over the agreement, however. Norman Wahl compared the district to buying a car without knowing the price, while Kelly Rae Kirkpatrick called the process frustrating for the city and property owners alike to move forward without secured DMC funding.
Yet residents of all ages say the area’s character is meant to be preserved. Abe Stucky, 10, lives in an apartment near Cafe Steam and urged the council to take care of the buildings near his home.
“This block is a huge part of my childhood, and I want future generations to be able to experience this historic district,” he said.
Transforming the heart of both downtowns, which have much larger buildings than old warehouses, is going to take a lot more money, creativity and time. Josh Talberg, managing director at downtown Minneapolis brokerage JLL, said with no major apartment buildings on the drawing board in either downtown, the fleet of empty office buildings present a golden opportunity to create more housing and lead both cities in a new direction.
“You can can certainly see the fundamentals improving, and you can feel that vibrancy, and that’s ultimately the foundation that’s needed to get investors to reinvest in the city,” he said. “But it’s not as if these 18-wheelers can turn on a dime.”
The Minnesota Department of Transportation closed part of a state highway Wednesday evening near Austin because of a “major hazardous materials release” in the area.
Hwy. 56 from Hayfield to Waltham, a stretch covering about five miles, was closed in both directions and drivers were directed to follow a detour to Blooming Prairie on U.S. Hwy. 218.
No information on the hazardous materials released was immediately available.
A federal judge dismissed a civil lawsuit against Minnesota state trooper Ryan Londregan in the shooting death of Ricky Cobb II during a 2023 traffic stop.
The decision is the latest development in a case that has drawn heated debate over excessive use of force by law enforcement. Criminal charges against Londregan were dismissed by Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty in June, saying the prosecution didn’t have the evidence to proceed with a case.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Nancy E. Brasel granted Londregan’s motion to dismiss the civil suit, arguing he acted reasonably when he opened fire as Cobb’s vehicle lurched forward with another state trooper partly inside.
Londregan’s attorney Chris Madelsaid Wednesday that it’s been a “long, grueling journey to justice. Ryan Londregan has finally arrived.”
On July 31, 2023, the two troopers pulled over Cobb, 33, on Interstate 94 in north Minneapolis for driving without taillights and later learned he was wanted for violating a felony domestic no-contact order. Cobb refused commands to exit the car.
With Seide partly inside the car while trying to unbuckle Cobb’s seatbelt, the car moved forward. Londregan then opened fire, hitting Cobb twice.
In her decision, Brasel said the troopers were mandated by state law to make an arrest given Cobb’s domestic no-contact order violation. She said it was objectively reasonable for Londregan to believe Seide was in immediate danger as the car moved forward on a busy highway, which would make his use of force reasonable.
