Suburbs face costs, complications in saving bits of their past

Eight years ago, a small but vital piece of the city of Savage's history rolled in on a truck at 3 a.m.

Built in 1880, the Savage Depot served as a railroad station until 1970, its deep-red siding and wide plank floors a familiar sight to anyone who picked up mail or freight. With renovations and a new coffee shop inside, it was about to become an iconic gem at the heart of a revived downtown. Or so the city hoped.

"My dream was that it would be open for the people to enjoy," said Mayor Janet Williams, "because the city of Savage doesn't really have that many historic buildings."

Today, though, reality is hitting home.

Two previous tenants with shops in the Depot have struggled to make ends meet and given up. The current franchisees recently asked the City Council to keep allowing them to rent the space for $1 a month plus taxes — a temporary concession. The owner of nearby Neisen's Sports Bar, Dan Neisen, said he's pleased the Depot has a tenant and is bringing people downtown, but added: "No one helped the other businesses around here get going."

Savage isn't the only Twin Cities suburb to confront the costs, complications and passionate opinions aroused by the noble intent of rescuing pieces of true historic character amid subdivisions and chains.

Just last week, members of Eagan's City Council learned that even people interested enough to attend the 100th anniversary party for the city's historic Old Town Hall were concerned about the enormous cost of restoring the fire-damaged building and planting it as a focal point amid the city's municipal campus.

Eden Prairie has wrestled with the same issues, plunging $740,000 into a historic house with the same dream of a cheery coffeehouse gathering spot that Savage has hoped for.

"A lot of places are now recognizing you have something really valuable in a historic building," said Kathleen Klehr, director of the Scott County Historical Society. "It makes a connection to the community. It's kind of that hometown feel. It also makes [newcomers] have an understanding of the history."

It's not just about restoring a relic so it looks as it did a century ago. The goal is to get people into the building, said David Lindahl, Eden Prairie's economic development manager.

A coffee shop or restaurant is ideal, bringing energy and character, said Williams, who avidly supported the Savage Depot's restoration.

But the costs aren't just on the front end — in fact, they may be never-ending.

In 2002, Eden Prairie spent $740,000 to fix up the Smith Douglas More House, transforming it into a Dunn Bros coffee shop.

"At the end of the day, it was not inexpensive," Lindahl admitted. But "the other part of the conversation is, if we're going to keep this historic property, what better way to make use of it [than a coffee shop]?"

Eden Prairie sees maintaining the house as a partnership with the business owners. It has paid for upgrades like a parking lot expansion in 2012, Lindahl said.

Officials in Savage concede that plans for a self-sufficient restaurant in the Depot may never materialize.

Moving and restoring the Depot initially cost the city about $130,000, with the local historical society pitching in thousands more, said city administrator Barry Stock.

Officials emphasize that tenants Paul and Cindy Hurley, who run Flavor at the Depot, do pay taxes and utilities, no small sum.

But lifelong Savage resident Cory Nelson said the rent discount "seems goofy. I've just never heard of anything like it."

And Savage's Economic Development Commission (EDC) recently concluded that the Council may need to accept that no restaurant in the space is going to make money — and any eatery could require the city's help to get by.

"The EDC was of the conclusion that, if this restaurant can't make it, we probably ought to reconsider what we're going to put in that building," Stock said.

Paul Hurley said that though they have nearly given up on the restaurant three times this year, business is finally picking up. "I believe that we can make it, because if I didn't, I'd close the doors tomorrow," he said.

Eagan officials are in the decisionmaking phase with their quaint but fire-damaged town hall. They just considered several proposals for moving and renovating it, with price tags ranging from $375,000 to $850,000. The Council tabled the matter to explore less expensive options as well as fundraising possibilities.

The response of some taxpayers to that project shows that not every suburbanite is enthusiastic about spending big bucks on a piece of nostalgia, Bakken said.

One challenge is that saving old buildings doesn't "clearly fit into any core function of local government," like health, safety or welfare, he said.

But Stock compared the Depot to a park — and no one gets upset about spending money on parks, he said.

Hopkins has a different approach. There, another historic train station is now a coffee shop, run by high school students and home to a range of youth programming. Programs are funded by a patchwork of grants and supporters, including the Hopkins school district, Hopkins and Minnetonka Recreation Services, the Three Rivers Park District and the city of Hopkins.

Though the city of Eden Prairie continues to help out Dunn Bros, "the store has never been more successful," said Lindahl.

Co-manager Alex Schuster said he's running a profitable business while also providing residents the chance to sip cappuccino in a living museum."To us, the historic property is tied completely to our business model," he said. "We would not be doing as well in another spot."

In Savage, Williams is still hoping for the best, though she wishes the Depot were more profitable.

"The bigger question, I think, for Council, is that [the Depot] is doing all these positive things. It's occupied and people can use it," said Stock. "Being unoccupied, well, who's that benefiting?"