Area residents working on bid to purchase house

Site could become community center or housing

On November 20, the Minneapolis City Council voted unanimously to pass the issue of whether or not to demolish the Historic John Cook House back to city staff.

The reason was laid out by City Attorney Kristyn Anderson just before the vote: Regulatory services with assistance from the city attorney’s office were in the process of finalizing an agreement with the property owner, Abubakar Jabril of 1717 Developers, LLC, which will facilitate the property being sold within the next six months.

“The agreement will also require upkeep and maintenance during that time frame. We believe that this agreement will serve the interest of the city, the community and the property owner and provide a tangible path forward to seeing the property restored so that its historic significance can be appreciated, realized and continued,” City Attorney Anderson said during the explanation to council.

City staff later clarified to council members that the agreement will not allow for demolition of the property. If the ends of this agreement weren’t achieved in the time frame of six months, the request to demolish the property would have to be brought back before city council.

The Northeaster reached out to the city attorney’s office for further details on the agreement, but has not heard back by press time.

The timing of this most recent decision is fortuitous for residents who have been voicing their support in preserving the property for months now at numerous public meetings. But for Recovery Bike Shop co-owners Seth Stattmiller and Elizabeth Richardson, it’s an issue they’ve seen evolve for years.

“It has captured the imagination of the neighborhood and beyond,” Stattmiller told the Northeaster on Nov. 26. “This is the John Cook House’s last best chance.”

Stattmiller and Richardson have been among the community residents leading the effort to try and purchase the property from the current owner. On Nov. 18, the two hosted a meeting at the bike shop, 2504 Central Ave. NE where they say 18 people — contractors, researchers, content creators, manufacturers and city officials — showed up to talk strategy on how to purchase the home. “It’s such a passionate group, it’s such a creative group and a group that’s rolling up their sleeves and not waiting around for the city to get things done,” Richardson said. “It was inspiring — to me, doing this made me feel like we are capable of so much.”

On Nov. 25, Stattmiller, Richardson and several others toured the property with Jabril, which they say was a step forward in making a strong effort at purchasing the property. The two say the asking price is currently $240,000, which is what several home listing websites list as the price for what the property was initially purchased for.

The Northeaster reached out to the property owner for comment and to verify the asking price, but has not heard back at the time of publication.

As for potential next steps, the co-owners of the bike shop said they plan to hold another meeting with a group of residents to discuss financial strategy, what a financial entity to take donations or purchase the property would look like and a more concrete direction on what to do with the property if a purchase is successful.

Current ideas include turning the property into a multifamily housing unit (specifically a duplex) or creating a community resource like a community center, cafe or tea house. Residents have also floated ideas for community gardens and artist spaces.

For now, work will continue. As for Stattmiller, he shares an optimistic message going forward.

“For me, if I get nothing else out of this but to be a part of that community that brings this thing back to life that will be however many years it takes well spent,” he said.

Stattmiller and Richardson encourage those that are interested in joining the effort to purchase the home to reach out to them at the Recovery Bike Shop. Interested parties can email them at cutter@re-cycle.com.