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October 18, 1999
Comfrey shows off new facilities at open houseBy SARA SYVERSON Journal Staff Writer COMFREY -- Eighteen months after the March 29, 1998 tornado that destroyed so much of the community of Comfrey and the surrounding area, the town held a community-wide open house Sunday afternoon celebrating the city's reconstruction. "It's amazing to look at what we've done in 18 months," said Comfrey Mayor Linda Wallin, "It's amazing how everything has come together." The main new city building structure includes a police department, fire offices, fire department and First Responders, post office, city office, mayor's office, and work room. The hallways of the building can be used as a storm shelter for 300 people, Wallin said. Engan Associates of Willmar designed the city building and the general contractor was Heymann Construction of New Ulm. The city building/community center cost $1,678,935 with funding coming FEMA/State, DEM Mitigation, Insurance, and a DTED grant. "It's a pretty impressive facility," said Brown County Commissioner Donald Wellner District 5, "A lot of planning went into it. The community center here will be an added benefit to the community." Other new facilities in town and their costs are water treatment facility, $534,637; post office, $26,858; North Park concession stand, $39,246; city maintenance building, $96,892; and a wastewater treatment plant allocated by FEMA for repair at $70,326. The projected cost for the street and utility reconstruction project (30 blocks of street repair) is $3.5 million. "We expected a good turnout. We sent out invitations to neighboring towns," said Wallin, "We thought it would be nice to do this this fall." LuVerne Siefkes, of Darfur attended the open house in Comfrey. "I think it's wonderful," said Siefkes, "It's a new town."
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