Newspaper Clipping - Newspaper Clipping Scan - Eagan's Town Hall stays put, only better - 11/16/2014STARTRIBUNE.COM/SOUTH • SECTION N • SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2014
Ea,gan I S Tomm Hall stays put, only better
5
n 1- r r History
The City Council decided to restore the fire -damaged historic
building, but not to move it to the municipal campus.
By JESSIE VAN BERKEL
jessie.vanberkel@startribune.com
The 100 -year-old Eagan
Town Hall, a wooden box of a
building that was damaged by
arson last year, will be restored
to its original condition by
next summer and remain at
its current location.
City officials considered
two options last week: leav-
ing the building at the corner
of Wescott and Pilot Knob
roads, where it has sat for a
century, or moving the hall to
the municipal campus across
the street. The city has been
grappling with the structure's
future since the September
2013 fire.
On Wednesday, a majority
of council members decided
that moving it across the street
is not worth an additional
$173,435. They supported cov-
ering the $289,631 needed for
a "bare bones" renovation and
will ask civic groups to fund -
raise for additional enhance-
ments, like landscaping and
air-conditioning.
The tiny hall served as the
city's central meeting place
until 1965. In recent years, it
has been a museum and stor-
age facility.
For many residents, includ-
ing members of the Eagan His-
torical Society who used the
town hall for their operations,
the white building with green
shutters is a beloved piece of
the city's heritage.
"I personally have had great
experiences making presen-
tations about the history of
Eagan to scout troops and indi-
viduals," Ted Ringberg, a His-
torical Society member, wrote
in a letter to the City Council.
"These people both young and
old are just fascinated to learn
what Eagan was like in the past
and how it became what it is
today. Not having the facilities
See EAGAN on N4 ►
for sale
An oil painting
by Larry Landis
commemo-
rates the 100th
anniversary of
the 1914 Eagan
Town Hall.
Prints are being
sold, with pro-
ceeds benefiting
the Eagan His-
torical Society.
Page N4.
City of Eagan