City aldermen declined to consider a purchase offer on the Flat Iron Building Wednesday.
Instead, aldermen on the Minot City Council’s Public Works and Safety Committee voted to recommend the council call for new bids to demolish the building.
Deb Carroll, representing Dakota Flat Iron Group, presented the committee with a purchase offer at the price the city paid for the building a year ago – $16,127. The group requested to make payments over 10 years.
The city had received only one bid for demolishing the building, which came to $326,381. Because of the high cost, the committee is recommending the council reject that bid and rebid the project.
Alan Walter, public works director, said by changing the specifications in the bid, he believes the job can be done for half that amount or possibly less. The original bid would have leveled the area to make the lot usable and that is where there would need to be some adjustment in the bid specifications.
The committee noted it will be at least two months before any demolition could occur. The preservation group would have that much time to prepare a detailed plan to preserve the building to present to the city. Aldermen were reluctant to sign over the building without a plan.
However, even if the city were to sell the building, it would do so through a bid process.
Alderman Hardy Lieberg said he favors preserving the building but wants to see a plan and a time frame that doesn’t drag renovation out for many years.
The group wants to purchase the building over 10 years so that it can immediately direct some of its funds toward stabilizing the building and then beginning renovation, Carroll said.
She said the group has $20,000 in cash on hand and additional pledges for several thousand dollars more. She said the group also is optimistic about the potential resources from various other sources that could be available.
“You are spending taxpayers’ money – a large amount of it – to bring it down,” Carroll said. “We are offering to purchase it so there’s no money spent by the city.”
Alderman Blake Krabseth said the feedback from the public has been in favor of demolishing the building.
“It’s not a 50/50 split,” he told Carroll. “You are in the minority.”
Alderman Tim Greenheck said the lack of parking makes the building unusable.
“This building is in a location that’s awful,” Greenheck said. “I quite frankly can’t see a practical use for it. As far as I am concerned its time is due, and I am going to vote to take it down.”
The Flat Iron Building, named for its unusual, triangular shape, stands near the corner of Central Avenue and Broadway. The city purchased the building with the intent to tear it down after finding it to be in a deteriorated condition.
Built in the early 1900s, the building has housed a variety of businesses over the years.
