Flat Iron Building demolition, fix-up would cost same

By JILL SCHRAMM, Staff Writer jschramm@minotdailynews.com
The City of Minot’s plan for tearing down the Flat Iron Building would cost as much as the estimate for shoring it up, based on a bid opening Tuesday.


So the city may be retreating to Plan B.


Alan Walter, Minot public works director, said the city received only one bid Tuesday for demolishing the building, and it was for $326,381 from Excavating Inc., of Minot.


The Dakota Flat Iron Group, which wants to restore the building, has said it could be stabilized for about $35,000 and put back into a condition suitable for remodeling for about $300,000.


Walter said the Minot City Council will be asked to reject the bid. The cost is high because the city had proposed that the contractor push the debris into the hole that would remain and use flowable fill to create a solid base so the lot would be safe and usable.


Walter said he plans to visit with the one interested contractor about how the demolition might be conducted more cheaply yet still maintain acceptable final results. The city would then re-advertise for bids for a different type of demolition project.


The Flat Iron Building, named for its unusual shape, stands near the corner of Central Avenue and Broadway. It is part of a district listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Information from the registry stated that the majority of Minot’s commercial buildings are of an early 20th century commercial design style with a more restrained and abstract use of decorative details. It listed the Flat Iron Building among examples of that architecture.


The registry lists the building as being constructed about 1914, although there is evidence from old newspaper articles that it dates to at least 1908. The Flat Iron Building has been used as a newspaper office, library and has housed a variety of shops over the years.


The city deemed the deteriorating building no longer safe and purchased the building a year ago for about $16,000 with the intent to tear it down. The previous owner was interested in restoring it but lacked the funding.


Deb Carroll of Minot, spokeswoman for Dakota Flat Iron Group, asked the council earlier this month for a 30-day reprieve to allow time to develop a plan for preserving the building. Carroll said that grants and other funds are available for historic restoration projects.


Although the council didn’t grant the request, the group will get more time than it requested because of the wait to get the bids.


Carroll reported Tuesday that the Flat Iron Building has been nominated for selection as one of the three most endangered buildings in the state, a designation made annually by Preservation North Dakota.


Preservation North Dakota is a grassroots, nonprofit group for historic preservation. It is holding its 2008 conference at the International Peace Garden May 1-4. The May 2 events include a press conference announcing the 3 Most Endangered List for 2008.