Developer's demolition plan doesn't pass muster with preservation panel

A proposed rehab of Florence Court rowhouses in Minneapolis stumbled Tuesday when the city's Heritage Preservation Commission balked at razing all but one of the buildings sought by the developer.

The commission voted 5-2 to allow only the demolition of the 1884 house built by the original developer of the rowhouses, a structure that members agreed was too far gone to make economic sense as a rehabilitation project.

But commissioners decided they haven't yet seen a proposal that warrants demolishing or moving four other houses on the lot as the current developer wants. They left the door open for another proposal.

Clark Gassen, who owns the complex, wants to tear down the five houses to make room for a four-building, 52-unit apartment complex that he says will provide enough cash to finance $2 million in renovations to the 1880s rowhouses.

But residents argued that removing the five buildings would destroy the intrinsic character of the L-shaped rowhouses just off University Avenue SE. They say the enclosed courtyard creates a community with its own karma.

As the discussion ground into its fourth hour, architect Jack Boarman was seeking a sense of what commissioners want in the way of design that will allow the construction. He said he could redesign the proposal so that much of the character of the current courtyard and drive are retained.

"Something is going to be built on this site. There's a lot of pressure on the site," Gassen's historical consultant, Charlene Roise, told the commission.

Some current and historical residents of the rowhouses say they're not confident Gassen is the right developer to restore the complex. "We have had a string of owners like this who have let it go downhill," said former resident Ann Laughlin.

Others from the broader southeast Minneapolis area said they're opposed to more complexes of students, such as the 182 residents Gassen proposed.

Some spoke for Gassen's plan of using development to preserve history. "Allow the development. Save this historic gem. It's just that simple," said Nick Walton.

Steve Brandt • 612-673-4438