Saving Minneapolis Grain Mills from the Wrecking Ball
Historic Preservation w/ Housing adaptive-reuse to stop onslaught of upscale, luxury apts.
Hi All,
Last Thursday, on behalf of concerned Minneapolis residents, I Appealed the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission’s (HPC) 5 to 4 decision to completely demolish the Historic 1914 ADM Nokomis Grain Mill, 3501 Hiawatha Avenue. The vote took place Feb. 4, 2025 following a Public Hearing.
I submitted the Appeals Application, per Ordinance 599.190, to Mpls Community Planning & Economic Development Dept (CPED), of which the HPC is a division. The Appeal is based on the fact that:
neither the Zachary Construction Company (which filed for the demolition permit, Nov. 25, 2024), nor CPED, which recommended demolition in its Report just prior to the vote, provide anywhere near the necessary information sufficient for the Heritage Preservation Commission to make an informed, evidence-based decision.
Specifically, Zachary Construction failed to present a completed Plan for what they intend to build in place of the ADM Nokomis Grain Mill? Other than to say it would be a “blank slate” build with an “affordable component.” More technically, Zachary Construction failed to present a feasibility assessment, including economic scenarios, architectural renderings, floor plans, square footage and cost estimates - information on which the Heritage Preservation Commission could make an objective decision.
Similarly, the CPED Report, also lacking in its research, in its FINDINGS stated 4. “There are no reasonable alternatives to the demolition considering the economic value or usefulness of the existing building.”
Our Appeal demonstrates below that there are quite reasonable, viable and cost-effective alternatives to demolition utilizing historic adaptive reuse and its accompanying substantial federal and state tax credits, of the existing ADM Nokomis historic grain mill buildings as follows:
1.Adaptive Reuse Economic factors and Cost Savings:
Ref: Adaptive reuse of heritage buildings; a systematic literature review of success factors.Habitat International, Volume 142, December 2023 102926,https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197397523001868
2.”Historic tax credits encourage the rehabilitation and re-use of historic buildings, creates jobs, are a cost-effective community revitalization measures, and support economic activity.”
Ref: https://mn.gov/admin/shpo/incentives/
Action steps:
The CPED received our Appeal, and agreed to schedule a Public Hearing to Appeal before the Business, Housing and Zoning Committee of the Minneapolis City Council tues March 4. CPED will provide more details soon which I will post. The more people attending the upcoming Appeals Public Hearing in favor of historic adaptive reuse, particularly housing, the better. It seems that our city cannot move forward until it stops erasing and whitewashing its history, not just buildings and architecture, but the people who sweated blood working in them, sacrificing life and limb; those discriminated from them; and the stolen land and Hiawatha trail in which Mills sit. Historic Preservation that confronts this head-on, with reclamation, seems the way forward to healing justice.
Also, the Appeals Application fee was $415 which I paid upfront. Per my request a few neighbors so far helped and contributed $170 of it to me. If anybody else out there could pls help defray these costs it would be super appreciated. You can mail a check to me, Joel Albers, at: 3500 35th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406.