Last week Manawa, LLC, the branch of Rebound Partners that is redeveloping the site of the Archer House, unveiled its initial plans for a building that would combine housing with retail and at least one restaurant. On Wednesday those plans went before the Northfield Historic Preservation Commission, and while the basic idea of what will fill the space has been decided, it is clear that the design can and will change.
The initial renderings of the design, which have been posted to the KYMN Facebook page, have not garnered much public support. The main critique is the lack of design elements common to the other buildings in Northfield’s Historic Downtown District.
Chris Kennelly, the President of NCC Builders and the lead developer on the project said Manawa has been working with the city and the HPC for more than a year. The city has asked that the building engage the riverfront and have a street level entrance. The Archer House, while beloved by many, did very little to activate the riverfront, and the front porch entrance made accessible entry difficult. Kennelly said the design accomplishes those requests, and the building itself fits the Department of the Interior’s criteria for a building built in a historic district. While much of the criticism is that the building looks nothing like the Archer House, and some have even asked why the original building is not being replicated, Kennelly said that idea is neither practical nor desirable.
“What’s important, at least with how we look at it, is making that building still look like it was built in 2023-2024, not built in 1890. Our belief is, really, to try to replicate the Archer house – first of all it would not be feasible, both construction cost-wise and code-wise. And really it would probably be disingenuous to the project and to the place that it holds in the heart of the community.”
Kennelly insisted, however, that the design is far from set. He said the HPC had made some suggestions, from window design to the crown of the building to bay depth, and Manawa is amenable to all of them. He also said the organization welcomes all of the comments made on social media. More than anything, he said, right now they are looking for feedback from the public.
“This project plan that’s coming forward right now is open for discussion. That’s really what we want is the feedback and that’s why we call it a 30% plan. It is by no means finished or detailed out how we’d want it to be if we were bringing the final proposal forward. Really, we wanted this initial feedback.”
The timeline set by Manawa, however, is not likely to accommodate the more than 20,000 opinions of every Northfielder. Kennelly said they are hopeful to have the design set in the next three months and would like to break ground on the construction sometime in the late fall.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Chris Kenelly of Manawa, LLC can be heard here
Repairs to Bridge Square fountain might not hold
The fountain on Bridge Square is up and running after sitting dormant since last fall. A statement issued by the City of Northfield and the Public Works Department said, however, due to the extent of the problems with the fountain’s mechanical workings, and the upcoming Bridge Square redevelopment project, the fountain could still break down from time-to-time.
Earlier this year when public works crews started the routine maintenance for the warmer season, they found problems with the fountain’s pumps, electrical lines, and drain valve. The statement said the crew began “troubleshooting” the problems, but with the fountain scheduled for refurbishment during the Bridge Square project, the sources of the problems are not necessarily being replaced.
The Bridge Square project, however, could be delayed as well. Northfield Director of Community Development Jake Reilly recently revealed that an archeological survey that was done in anticipation of the project discovered part of the original foundation of the old Ames Mill. Reilly was unsure of how that could affect the construction. The city, he said, is still waiting to hear about the significance of the discovery.
Redevelopment of Bridge Square has been an idea the city has discussed for nearly a decade. Several different plans were created in 2014, but the project was tabled. The current redevelopment project incorporated some of those ideas, including, at one point a suggestion of relocating the fountain to the far east point of the park. That idea was met with quite a bit of resistance, however, and it was decided to keep the fountain in place.
Streets and Parks Manager Charlie Fredericks said in the statement that the maintenance of the fountain will be routinely monitored, but he was not optimistic that the repairs made will hold for a long time.
“The maintenance of the fountain will be routinely monitored. Due to the number of repairs required, we expect the consistent functionality of the fountain will be problematic throughout the end of 2023. We’re doing our best to repair it as much as we can for people to enjoy it this year before we are able to substantially refurbish it next year.”
Construction on the Bridge Square redevelopment is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2024.
Northfield Shares will accept grant applications through October 2nd
And the Northfield Shares grant application process is open for 2024.
Northfield Shares is a local foundation that looks to support local programs and non-profit organizations by encouraging philanthropism, volunteering, and promoting collaborative leadership.
Grants through Northfield Shares are judged on specific criteria. A project will be evaluated based on need in the community, feasibility, and the ability of the organization to achieve the project’s goal. Organizations are evaluated on the assistance they offer to sustain a “thriving, equitable community for all residents,” and their ability to create the broadest possible range of help. The foundation tends to favor projects and organizations that involve volunteers, and collaborative projects from multiple organizations.
Grant applicants should have a goal, the ability to maintain and enhance the overall well-being of the Northfield community and have the ability to manage the funds granted and deliver on the proposal.
Applications will be reviewed by the Grants Committee which will then make its recommendations to the Board of Directors for final approval. Grant recipients will be announced in November and the funds will be distributed at the Northfield Shares Annual Meeting in December.
The deadline to turn in a completed application is October 2nd.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
