Council: More time needed on George's

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- City officials generally agreed Thursday that public sentiment toward preservation efforts for George's Ballroom is strong, but also felt that any such effort would probably too expensive for the city to bear.

However, they also decided to ask Brown County for more time to decide the issue after city councilors came to the agreement that the 60-day time period required by law simply wasn't enough.

As it currently stands, the 31,650-square foot building is in the hands of the Brown County Auditor-Treasurer's Office, forfeited earlier this June in light of $89,000 in unpaid property taxes owed to the state, city and county. Brown County is planning to offer the building at a public auction soon, and plans to do so if the city decides not to do anything about it.

But that was hardly the sentiment Thursday afternoon.

The members of the New Ulm City Council met again with city planner Dave Schnobrich and building inspector Al Gag and Assistant Brown County Auditor-Treasurer Jean Prochniak to discuss how New Ulm is going to deal with the issues posed by the ailing landmark.

Several elements seemed to pop up quite frequently during the two-hour meeting. Private developers, tax increment financing, the New Ulm Housing and Redvelopment Authority and the overall costs involved with such an undertaking were discussed at length.

City councilors Dan Beranek, Joel Albrecht, Ruth Ann Webster, Ron Fleischman and Clark Tuttle said they have all received several letters and phone calls from citizens in the past week. They said most of the letterwriters support efforts to save the venerable ballroom, but there were also quite a few who warned councilors not to get involved at all.

City officials also aired their own concerns about the possible price tags that could come with any kind of development or renovation efforts.

Beranek noted early in the meeting that "there's going to be a lot of emotion" but indicated several times that he thinks George's more than likely will fall to bulldozers as the cost of renovation

Tuttle seemed particularly skeptical on whether or not the city should do anything at all.

"I'm not inclined to buy it for a dollar," he told others. "Even if it is facing demolition. There have been lots of letters to the editor, particularly from people out of town. Did those people send checks?"

Tuttle added later that he's had more calls asking him not to get involved with the property than he's had supporting preservation efforts.

Then Albrecht had his turn.

"You can't get off that easily," he told Tuttle. "If we do nothing, then they'll say 'Why didn't you do anything?'. You can't just walk away."

But Albrecht also seemed to see the practical side. He said he thinks George's Ballroom "can be rehabilitated. The cost is up in the air. But once you rehabilitate it, what is there that the community needs that will support the debt?"

Officials did raise issue with possible uses for the current structure. Some said they were concerned about the possible effects it could have on the new arena going up at the county fairgrounds. Others speculated that it would compete against Turner Hall and the Holiday Inn. And still there were others who said they felt that while a revitalized George's might not impact any city facilities, the city still wouldn't have a use for it. Most seemed to agree that taxpayers probably won't vote for a rate increase to save the ballroom.

"A lot of people have been talking about what it could be used for, but no one's willing to pay a dime more in taxes," said Webster. "People have ideas, but they want someone else to pay for it. If the city owns it, it will likely be demolished unless some white knight comes along."

Tuttle later brought up the issue of city funding. He reminded others that New Ulm just loaned $300,000 to the Economic Development Authority and questioned where the city would get the money for redevelopment.

City Manager Brian Grametz told councilors that the city won't know if George's has any potential buyers unless it goes on sale. He later suggested that the city respond to Brown County within the 60-day period and ask for about a year and a half to try to find some use for the 57-year old building. He recommended taking no official action and relaying the city's request to Brown County commissioners and waiting for their response.

Beranek said after the meeting that the decision could help buy New Ulm some time to find some investors, but was also quick to add that the six city lots that George's Ballroom could go up for sale.

"We're looking at a losing proposition either way," he said. "A lot of people talk about their memories but agree that we shouldn't get involved.'

Said Fleischman, "It's an expensive problem."