The destiny of the Western Grocery Building is likely to be determined Tuesday after commissioners decided to propose a resolution to terminate further restoration attempts and demolish the building.

Wednesday, December 12, 2001

The destiny of the Western Grocery Building is likely to be determined Tuesday after commissioners decided to propose a resolution to terminate further restoration attempts and demolish the building.

The county reached the conclusion from its visual observation of the building. &uot;The building’s structural integrity is not the best,&uot; administrator Ron Gabrielsen said.

The observation by the Building Maintenance Office found a number of cracks in the walls and brick erosion.

Many of the cracks cut the middle of bricks, not along mortar, which the county believes would make reuse difficult or costly.

Some beams holding the floors and roof are also eroded, and that may require a major structural modification.

&uot;The building was designed as storage. If we are to keep groceries there, there could be no problem with such unsound shape. But if we use it as a county office, that would be cause a liability problem,&uot; Gabrielsen said.

The county would also rule out the option of mothballing the building in case a future use arises. Gabrielsen pointed out that the building would need to be equipped with sprinklers for fire prevention, which would require a considerable cost.

The county’s move aims to refute findings in a reuse study conducted by a civil group advocating the preservation. Architects hired by Destination: Albert Lea concluded the building could be converted into a fine office space at about $4 million.

The county purchased the building in June last year at $98,000. The initial purpose of the acquisition was to vacate the structure and use the land for future courthouse expansion.

But the project on the site has been stalled by the preservation movement and indecisive arguments regarding the future courthouse location.

The board began exploring an off-site judicial center scheme in August while it decided to fund the DAL reuse study. A discussion with Mower County to build a joint judicial center is also continuing. The second intra-county meeting on the subject is scheduled at 1 p.m. Thursday at the Elks Club in Albert Lea. The meeting is open to the public.

Though it is still unclear how the Western Grocery Building space would be used after the demolition, the land next to Law Enforcement Center could add a number of options for the county for designing a courthouse expansion.

The county desires to set a clear direction for the courthouse project by early next year, Gabrielsen said. &uot;If we stick to the Western Grocery Building, next step would be a structural integrity survey by specialists that will cost $3,000 to $4,000. I expect the commissioners to consider if it is worth spending.&uot;