Prairie Skyline Foundation

Now we will never know if the Wayne/Palace Hotel's supporting walls were structurally sound.  In the above floor plan of the fourth floor, areas shown in red are the wooden structures that let light in to all three floors.  These are not made like the exterior walls  that are six bricks thick. Now we will never know if some falling brick on the south side meant do some masonry repair, or loss of structural integrity. Now we will never know if Metro Plains would have been successful if they had tried a third time with the new state historic tax credits and/or different funding sources. Why?   Because Polk County turned down an offer of a free structural assessment from a structural engineer from the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota. When we drive by on US Highways 2 and 75 and look at that ugly corner, let's remember: What if the County had replace the roof and cleaned out the building, and put up a for sale sign 10 years ago? What if the County had...

The Prairie Skyline Foundation and Preservation Alliance of Minnesota (PAM) were disappointed to learn last Thursday that Judge Michael Kraker denied their request for a temporary injunction to halt demolition of the historic Palace/Wayne Hotel in Crookston. Prairie Skyline and PAM had filed suit against the City of Crookston, Polk County, and the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (EQB) as a last-ditch effort to save the endangered building, which anchors Crookston’s commercial historic district. The building is a contributing structure to a designated historic district; under the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act, an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) is mandatory for such properties before they can be demolished in whole or in part. In June, the City and County requested and received an “emergency waiver” from the EQB, allowing them to avoid the preparation of an EAW. An EAW would have required public consideration of alternatives to demolition. In his decision, Jud...

A person walks pass some of the murals painted at a closed building along Dexter Avenue in downtown Montgomery, Ala., on Friday, Oct. 1, 2010. (Montgomery Advertiser, Lloyd Gallman) Downtown revitalization must include historic preservation, expert says By Jill Nolin • October 11, 2010 age Downtown revitalization was once talked about because it wasn't happen­ing. Now, it's being talked about because it's actually taking hold in Montgomery. Montgomery's success, to date, in re­vitalizing its downtown is a major focus of the annual Alabama Preservation Conference that started Thursday and ended Saturday. Some of the sessions have offered analysis and commentary on what steps led up to the rebirth that sparked on the riverfront and is starting to push into the rest of the downtown area. "I tell you, you are doing the right things in Montgomery, Alabama. It's not there yet, but it's never there," said Don­ovan Rypkema, who is an inte...

Letter to polk county View more documents from CrookstonKate .

Response to august 26 city letter View more documents from CrookstonKate . free hit counters  

08 28-10 letter to kay hegge.docx View more documents from CrookstonKate .

1904 113 C.L. Bang Candy Manu 115 Edward Wood & Co. 117 Palace Hotel Saloon 117 & ½ Nat Campbell & Moeckel; Carpenter & Stenvick, Crookston Club, Hayes, R.M. Kirsch, M.D., McKinnon, Daniel, Rowe, W.D., Rowe, W.E., U.S. Land Office 119 Farley, Z.J. 121 Basset, Miss L.M. 123 Carpenter, Huggard & M 1908 117 & ½ U.S. Land Co., Clough & Caldwel, A.C. Clausen, Crookston Club, Daniel McKinnon, W.E. Rowe, Lee Sisters, Ernest Moeckel 119 Farley 121 J.E. Carpenter Land Co., City Realty Co. 123 F.B. Harris 1911 113 Miss Florence Huey 117 & ½ Palace Hotel 123 N.H. Yeo 1915 113 Mrs. M. B. Pierce 115 Carpenter Land Co. 119 Palace Hotel 123 N.H.Yeo 1930 113 Munn’s Music & Jewelry 115 Rosemary Hat & Hosiery 117 Palace Cafe 123 Regan’s Candy Shop 1935 113 Munn’s Music & Jewelry 115 Crookston Production Credit 117 The Dutch Room 120 & ½ Wayne Hotel 121 Northwestern Bell 123 Christines Beauty Service 1940 113 Chas. A. Mun...

These Costs are Submitted by Brian J. Carlson, JLG Architects, Grand Forks, ND free web counter

Nothing but tons of prayers will save the Wayne/Palace Hotel from short-sighted "leaders."  At this time, we are preparing a proposal to the Polk County Board because we too were waiting for good news from Metro Plains Development. 

. Watch for the Artspace Report on www.prairieskyline.com!  Here is an excerpt: "...the citizens of Crookston should make it clear to their elected leaders that they want the building (Palace/Wayne) preserved. While we are sympathetic to the County Commissioners who see the building chiefly as drain on scarce resources, we cannot state too strongly our view that tearing it down would be akin to burning a Rembrandt because you can’t afford to have it cleaned. Every effort should be made to find the money needed to stabilize the building until a suitable reuse can be found. Once gone, it can never be replaced.

Imagine if the former Wayne/Palace Hotel was filled with 24 artists attracted to Crookston because of the affordable lifestyle and charming spaces to live.  As you walk by the windows you will join with tourists to watch artists at work at welding, construction, forming and firing clay, painting, photographing, and creating all kinds of one of kind pieces.  Bicycles will be parked in the rear of the building; artists will bicycle up to "A" Street and over to the former Cathedral on Ash to display and sell their works, where musicians and play practices are going on.  Down in the park, you'll see artists at work as well, inspired by the river and the great spaces of the great plains.  An "Arts and Learn" opens up in the former Eagle Drug location and other arts related spin-offs fill downtown retail spaces. UMC expands its visual arts classes and purchases the Fournet Block to house arts students. A "white tablecloth" restaurant opens up in th...