Yesterday, the most historic section of the Archer House, built in 1877, was demolished, leaving now, only the North wing of the
building which will come down most likely next week.
The demolition comes fourteen months after a fire ravaged the interior of the hotel, leaving the building as a total loss. Despite the cold, members of the public stood across the street to take pictures and preserve memories of the iconic Downtown Northfield Landmark.
Brett Reese and Brent Bielenberg of Rebound Partners, the company that owns the building and the land underneath, acknowledged the solemn occasion, and said one of the goals moving forward will be to preserve the history of the Archer House, and connect it to whatever is developed on the site next.
Bielenberg said, in fact, that is his main responsibility in the project.
“I’ve used this phrase: ‘How do you link the past to the present so the future can hear the story?’ And that’s why we’ve been getting in there and salvaging out things – anything that will help us tell the story of the Archer House, from the beginning to now and into the future. As hard as it is, it’s not the end of the story. It’s a new chapter.”
Looking forward, Reese said the company has selected an architecture firm, and will soon convene a Community Task Force to discuss how best to move forward and discuss the possibilities.
He hopes the new development will offer living space, hotel space, one or two eating establishments – possibly reviving some of the restaurants that once occupied the Archer House – a spa, and underground parking.
The design work, which will include public input, will continue through the spring. Reese said the plan is to break ground for the new development in late summer, with the goal of being finished by the end of 2023.
Masks are strongly encouraged
Despite the failure of a proposed city ordinance requiring the wearing of masks in all of Northfield’s public spaces, Northfield Mayor Rhonda Pownell and City Administrator Ben Martig are encouraging everyone to wear a mask in public.
As the Omicron variant is causing a record number of positive cases, in fact the state positivity rate hit a record 22% this week, the strain on the city’s health care system is growing every day. Counselor Jami Reister, who had requested the ordinance be discussed at Tuesday’s city council meeting, is a trained physician, and is married to a physician in the emergency room at Northfield Hospital.
“When he texts me, and says ‘I am drowning,’” she said, “that’s reality.”
Still the idea of requiring masks was too strong to pass through the council. As an emergency ordinance, passage required a super majority of five votes in favor. Councilor Jessica Peterson White was not at the meeting on Tuesday, so Mayor Pownell and Councilor Brad Ness’ votes against were enough to scuttle the ordinance.
The mayor said she voted against it because she believes without a coordinated effort from the state, a mandate would be ineffective, and because it puts business owners in a difficult role of enforcement. However, she said, people do need to realize that we are still in the midst of a pandemic, and wearing a mask is a significant way to protect against a virus that is still incredibly dangerous.
Administrator Martig added that a mask mandate is made more difficult because there is no medical information that is specific to Northfield. The city uses information from the CDC, the Minnesota Health Department and Rice County Public Health, but without having public health professionals on the city staff, it is hard to ascertain the exact Covid situation for the city. Without solid numbers, determining when a mandate could be lifted would be an educated guessing game.
In lieu of the mandate, Martig said people should still wear masks, and take even further precautions against Omicron.
“There is no one single step on its own at preventing it, so if you can layer it, that’s where its best. So, things like get your vaccinations. Every Minnesotan five years and older can get vaccinated, and all Minnesotans aged twelve and older should get a booster vaccine when they’re due. The Minnesota Department of Health has great web materials and there’s a hotline to answer all kinds of questions.”
There is speculation that the Omicron surge might peak in Minnesota sometime next week. Mayor Pownell said, as she understands it, after the peak, the decline in cases could happen fairly quickly.
Hillmann says new roof a good example of district stewardship
The Northfield Middle School will get a new roof this summer. 
Last week, the Northfield School Board approved a bid from commercial roofing company Schwickerts Tecta America to replace the roof on the Middle Schol for $3.2 Million. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said the district had received an estimate for the job in 2021 around $2.8 million, but the current rate of inflation, particularly in raw materials, drove up the cost.
Construction on the Middle School was completed in 2004, which, of course, was 18 years ago. Hillmann acknowledged that the hope is to see a roof last at least 20 years, if not longer. However, two years after the middle school was built, Northfield suffered one of the oddest, and most memorable hailstorms in history, that dropped hail sometimes the size of softballs for a sustained five-minute period. Maintenance was performed on the roof at the time, but the storm very clearly shortened the roof’s lifespan.
Funding for the roof will come through the state’s Longterm Facilities Maintenance Program. Hillmann said because of that, no money for the new roof will come out of the district’s general fund.
The importance of fixing the roof right now, Hillmann said is laid into the district’s strategic plan. Stewardship, he said, is very important, especially when it comes to the fundamental function of a building. The district has been entrusted with the care of a significant municipal asset, and they plan for eventualities like this, so when the time comes, it’s not a shock to the district’s financial system.
“The Good news is Val Mertesdorf our Finance Director and Cole Nelson our Director of Buildings and Grounds had anticipated this and built it into some of our planning, so we will start that this summ.er. And again, things like roofs – you know, you’ll see it while it’s being done, but it’s not the kind of thing you think of everyday. But that’s a really important way of taking care of the resources the community has entrusted to us.”
Initial preparation for the work will begin in the spring and will be done during the after-school hours.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
