Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News ) - Rochester Mayor Ardell Brede is stating his firm opposition to selling the historic Armory building in downtown Rochester for some sort of commercial use after the Senior Center moves to its new facility this fall.

During an appearance on KROC-AM during the Rochester Today show Thursday morning, Brede indicated he and city staff recently discussed bringing the Arts and Cultural Collaborative proposal back for additional consideration. The City Council voted last week to reject the group’s plan for a future use of the Armory, along with another proposal from the Minnesota Veterans and Emergency Services Museum, and to obtain an appraisal of the property to determine its value if it were put up for sale.
Mayor Brede says the collaborative needs to tighten up its proposal to specifically address how it would staff and fund the operation, but he and others feel the city has an obligation to support the arts community and that could come in the form of covering utility and maintenance expenses. Brede notes the city currently provides that kind of assistance to the current tenant of the Armory building, the Art Center, and the Civic Theater.

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