From staff reports

The effort to save the Western Grocery building did not succeed in holding the wrecking ball at bay, but those who spoke out and pressed the county to preserve the historic structure did accomplish something: They drew new attention to the importance of historical preservation in Albert Lea’s downtown.

Wednesday, December 19, 2001

The effort to save the Western Grocery building did not succeed in holding the wrecking ball at bay, but those who spoke out and pressed the county to preserve the historic structure did accomplish something: They drew new attention to the importance of historical preservation in Albert Lea’s downtown. We hope the spirit of preservation that infused the effort to save Western Grocery will not die with the building; indeed, it is needed elsewhere downtown, where it can make a difference in other ways.

Other buildings downtown cry out for some attention. They hold potential for better things in the future if they can be preserved and renovated. The Freeborn Bank building, also known as the Vault, is one that stands at a busy downtown intersection and could be a major part of the city’s plans. The former Chamber building, which clearly has a prime location and historic value, is another. There are more.

While it would have been better to see the county board do more than go through the motions when it comes to Western Grocery, that was not to be. Yes, they helped pay for a building study, but they promptly ignored its findings and came to their own conclusions. The county may have bigger and better plans for the site, but its treatment of the Western Grocery subject served to be more of a tease than anything.

This probably didn’t come as a surprise to most. Preservation efforts usually taste some failure; the priorities of modern planners don’t always include historical preservation and it’s difficult to win popular support. That doesn’t mean preservationists should give up. History in Albert Lea is still worth saving, and there will be other battles to fight.