Minnesota city officials seek state funding for asylum demolition

Fergus Falls, Minnesota, officials are seeking state funding to demolish a historic mental hospital campus after more than a decade of consideration, a report by the Grand Forks Herald says. The city is requesting $8.9 million of the state’s bonding bill for demolition.

Mayor Ben Schierer says in the report that deconstruction of Kirkbride Asylum, also known as the Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center, would take years to complete. The only structure that would be left standing is the vacant tower building, which would be the only city-owned structure left.

Through the deconstruction phase, the city would be willing to take proposals for redevelopment, the report says.

Bids for the deconstruction phase will be opened Jan. 18 and worked is expected to start when a contractor is selected in February. Andrew Bremseth, city administrator, says in the report the city previously received $1.9 million in bonds to close the campus tunnels and tear down three buildings as part of the first deconstruction phase.

Kirkbride was first built in the 1890s and is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. The report says the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office is required to sign off on any demolition and redevelopment plans.

The asylum became vacant in 2005 and the city took ownership of the building in 2007. The report says parts of the property are owned by Otter Tail County for its government services center. Campus Development Group, an affiliate of Fargo-based real estate developer Jeff Schlossman, opened apartments in two renovated buildings in 2015. City-owned buildings are the only structures to be demolished.

Previous efforts to preserve Kirkbride include flash mobs meant to raise awareness to plans of turning the building into a $40 million complex with restaurants and a hotel. The plans fell through in 2015.