Annandale Advocate, December 23, 2013
 "Decision on '22 Tabled for 90 Days"
by Tom Westman, Annandale Advocate Staff Writer

It was anticipated that the Annandale School Board would make a decision as to the future of the 1922 building at its Thursday, Dec. 19, meeting. 

While the future of the building is still unclear, it will not be demolished in the summer of 2014.

The board agreed to give the interested parties 90 days to come up with solid proposals for the long term repurposing of the building. Because of the board action taken, the earliest demolition could occur would be the summer of 2015.

At its November of 2012 meeting the school board approved a resolution stating that if a buyer had not been found by the December of 2013 meeting, demolition of the 1922 building would commence in the summer of 2014. 

There are now two parties interested in using the 1922 building. One is the 1922 ReUse Committee, a sub-group of the Annandale Area Action Team (ACT). This group is proposing to convert the building into a community center. The 1922 ReUse committee submitted a lease proposal at last month's board meeting.

Last week, Superintendent Steve Niklaus learned that Startide, a technology focused, engineering and asset management company headquartered in Kihei, Hawaii, was interested in repurposing the building as a data center.

Startide has experience converting an older school building into a data center in St. Louis Park.

"Would they be interested in the vacant community education building?" asked board member Jon Scheer.

"No they were not interested in that building," Niklaus said. "They like the '22 and the idea of preservation."

On Wednesday, Dec. 18, City Administrator Kelly Hinnenkamp, Niklaus and board members Jeannette Riger-Borer, Paul Zabinski and Katie Jones met with Dan Kaufmann of Startide in hopes of learning more of what Startide had in mind for the 1922 building.

The group learned that Startide would initially only need to use one floor and was very interested in working with the ACT group's community center concept.

"They were very interested in ACT and suggested they work together in a joint effort," Rieger-Borer said.

The same day, Kaufmann also met with a building inspector, who pointed out some problems.

The inspector indicated an elevator would be necessary to occupy the second floor and an emergency exit to the 1954 wing would be necessary to occupy the first floor.

"But, from the inspector, there was nothing that would be called a deal stopper," Niklaus said.

Better Internet?

Currently there is not enough bandwidth available locally for Startide to operate a data center here.

"The interested party has indicated that he has a deal in place for an adequate Internet provider, if they get the facility," said Niklaus. 

"With an anchor like Startide it would be attractive for an Internet provider to invest in providing an alternative Internet source to the entire community," board member Jones said. 

It is not known at this time whether Startide would be interested in buying the building. The board, however, made it clear that it was not going to put any money of the school district's into the building.

"My only recommendation to you, as your superintendent at this time, is that it is not in the best interest of the Annandale School District to own this facility and continue to maintain it in the future," Niklaus said.

Black and white

Board member Jones made the motion to table the demolition and give the two groups a three-month time frame to come up with concrete, black and white proposals.

"Giving them a little time is a good idea," Zabinski said. "If it works out, there are lots of benefits for Annandale."

"If there is still vagueness at the end of three months, the board might consider that it is time for people to stop agonizing over this," Niklaus said.

Board member Scheer indicated that maybe 90 days was not enough time for them to show significant progress.

While Mr. Kaufmann did not attend the board meeting, he did have the chance to meet with some ACT members following the meeting.

"It thought he was a really nice guy," said Rose Mary Nelson of ACT. "He seems to be excited about our committee and I think he knows we want to meet with him."

"We are fast tracking a meeting for next week between the ReUse Steering Committee and the data center people to see what we can do collaboratively," said Laura Hood Beckman of ACT. "I heard Jon Scheer's skepticism about whether this can really come together, but I have spent my whole life watching collaborations create win-win situations. I think he will be delighted when this all works out.

"The ReUse experts were very clear to say a mixed-use would be an appropriate approach. I feel very good about their commitment to preservation and that we have that in common."