Hurd House/Anderson Hotel Reuse Study
A reuse study on the Hurd House/Anderson Hotel, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was completed by John Lauber and Associates with a final draft sent to the City of Wabasha on 1/24/2011. The City of Wabasha Historic Preservation Commission and Port Authority along with City Administrator and Planner were directly involved with the development of the project.
The Hurd House/Anderson Hotel was closed in early 2009 and has remained closed since First State Bank took position in late 2009. The Building is locked with minimal heat and protection from the elements. The property does not have a day to day caretaker as it did when it was previously operated as a hotel in private ownership. The City Port Authority working with the First State Bank has worked diligently with a number or interested parties to look at selling the property to a party that would re-establish its usc as a hotel. Each of these prospective parties had significant interest in hotel and restaurant operations, several of a historic nature.
The primary goal for the reuse study was to find a qualified party interested in acquiring the property and placing it back into use. The grantee reported that they had a group very interested in the property only because of the work undertaken by this study.
(b) Statewide Historic and Cultural Grants. (i) $2,250,000 in 2010 and $4,500,000 in 2011 are appropriated for history programs and projects operated or conducted by or through local, county, regional or other historical or cultural organizations; or for activities to preserve significant historic and cultural resources. Funds are to be distributed through a competitive grants process. The Minnesota Historical Society shall administer these funds using established grants mechanisms, and with assistance from the advisory committee created herein.