Photo by Clay Schuldt To remove the top of the building facade at 307 N. Minnesota St. connected with The Journal building next door requires a fine touch by the excavator operator.

NEW ULM – The building at 307 N. Minnesota Street next door to The Journal is now gone following its demolition Thursday.

The building at 307 N. Minnesota has been part of downtown New Ulm for more than a century.

The exact date it was built is unknown, but it is believed to be in the late 1800s. The building went through renovations and upgrades, preventing it from being part of the historic downtown.

In 1906, a tin shop operated from the business, and in 1928, a dry cleaner operated at the address.

Over the decades, the building has served as a podiatrist’s office, travel agency and bank insurance service office.

Photo by Clay Schuldt The excavator carefully peals back the southern wall of the building at 307 N. Minnesota Street Thursday, using precision to avoid damaging the next-door building, occupied by The Journal.

In recent years, the main floor of the building was vacant, with rental apartments on the second floor.

This year, the city approved the demolition due to safety considerations. Maintenance issues have been a concern with the property since 2015. The north wall of the building is crumbling and has been cited as a safety hazard.

Building owner Robert Van Zile previously stated he did not have the money to fix the wall, leaving the city with the choice to fix it or knock it down.

Each option had potential for hidden costs. In January, the City Council was leaning toward demolition, but bids were rejected due to high cost.

New bid requests were submitted, but in February, Van Zile said he had the money to repair the building. The city gave him three months to submit a plan and begin repairs before August, or the city would proceed with demolition.

Photo by Clay Schuldt Using the pile of rubble from the upper floor of the demolished building, the excavator removes the lower floor of the front of the building at 307 N. Minnesota St.

Van Zile failed to present a plan before the deadline, forcing the city to move forward with the demolition.

One of the reasons the city was hesitant to demolish the building at was concern that this building shared a common wall with The Journal building at 303 N. Minnesota Street.

Blueprints were unclear if the buildings had a shared wall or two separate walls. In the event the two buildings shared a wall, the city would be responsible for covering a newly exposed wall.

Recently, the city confirmed 307 N. Minnesota St. building and The Journal building did not share a wall, making the demolition process simpler.

Building Inspector Mike Pautzke said rubber roofing material overlapped the two buildings. Gag Sheet Metal crew were able to remove the material and cap it off before the demolition.

Photo by Clay Schuldt The sun beats down as an excavator beats down the building at 307 N. Minnesota St. Thursday in downtown New Ulm.

The actual building demolition was conducted by M.R. Paving and Excavating. The bulk of the structure was taken down in under three hours. The demo crew was able to take down the building without damaging the adjacent Journal wall.

“It went as expected,” Pautzke said, speaking of the demolition. “They did not encounter any problems.”

Pautzke said demolition of a building is never the first choice, but if it has to occur this was the best-case scenario.

Photo by Clay Schuldt As the excavator sits on a pile of rubble, its arm is almost fully extended as it pulls down the front facade during the Thursday demolition at 307 N. Minnesota St.

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