St. Cloud State looks to sell historic Selke Field

ST. CLOUD – A historic site on the southeast side of St. Cloud with ties to early university athletics and the Great Depression is for sale.

St. Cloud State University leaders announced Wednesday the college is listing the 16-acre Selke Field for $290,000.

The off-campus space opened in 1931 and was later named for George Selke, a 1913 graduate who became the university’s longest-serving president.

In 1937, a crew funded by the Works Progress Administration erected a 3,500-foot wall using granite from nearby quarries. The wall, which varies from 8 to 11 feet tall, surrounds the entire property.

Last year, SCSU submitted a request to the city’s planning commission to rezone the field for apartments or townhomes as a way to increase flexibility as leaders finalized plans for what to do with the space. SCSU leaders are currently working to implement a campus design plan that will raze several unused or underused buildings on campus in the next two decades and create more defined, park-like pedestrian spaces. Selke Field is across the Mississippi River from the main campus.

The planning commission rejected the request after hearing complaints from neighbors about declining green spaces in the city, as well as impacts to property values and concerns about crime.

The site is zoned for residential and park uses. Because it is a state asset, it cannot be sold for less than the appraised value.

The site originally included a quarter-mile track, a football field and softball diamonds. In 1947, the university put up temporary metal huts to house veterans enrolled at the college.

The field hosted football games until Husky Stadium was build in 2004; it most recently was used for softball, but home games are now played at Husky Stadium.

“Selke Field holds a special place in the history of our university and community,” said Larry Dietz, interim president at SCSU, in a release. “While it is bittersweet to part with such a historic site, we are excited about the opportunities this sale will bring for future development and growth.”