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January 9, 2009

Nichols Building to be razed

County says one-time MSU building too expensive to run

By Brian Ojanpa

MANKATO — It’s not a historic structure and it’s plain-Jane boxiness is architecturally insignificant.

The Nichols Office Center is merely a five-story government building-cum-quasi landmark that, having served its purpose, is fated to become rubble.

Its tenants are queuing to move out because Nichols is coming down. The only question is when.

“It solved our space issue at the time, but it’s an expensive building to run. That’s the problem,” Blue Earth County Administrator Dennis McCoy said.

The building adjacent to the Blue Earth County Courthouse houses 11 entities, ranging from a state Department of Health office to an area Girl Scouts facility.

All need to find other quarters this year, preferably by Labor Day, McCoy said.

The “decommissioning” of the building will precede the wrecking ball.

McCoy said refurbishing Nichols would be impractical, and Nichols physical plant director Tim Edwards concurs.

“It’s just not very energy efficient at all, and it would be very costly to fix it,” Edwards said.

The county will retain ownership of the site land in case it’s needed to build anew upon someday.

“We really do want the land. That’s one thing we feel very strongly about,” County Commissioner Will Purvis said. “You just don’t know what the future is going to bring; we might need it for expansion.”

Some of Nichols’ tenants have new quarters lined up, while others, such as the Health Department (“We don’t know where we’re moving yet,” a staffer said) are searching.

The Community Corrections office will move to the new county Justice Center, while Taxpayer Services will transition across the street to the courthouse.

Region Nine Development Commission and its 16 employees in Nichols is expected to announce the location of its new quarters in a few days.

The Veterans Affairs Clinic, which opened less than a year ago to provide area military veterans with mental health care, is still looking for a new site in the community.

“Our plan is to be out of there in June, and re-open in July,” Veterans Affairs spokesman Ralph Heussner said.

Blue Earth County bought the building 12 years ago. Nichols was built in 1958 to serve as classroom space for Mankato State College.

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