The Historic John Cook House, built in 1899 by John L. Cook, was designated a local historical landmark in 2021 by the city of Minneapolis. Representatives for Abubakar Jibril of 1717 Developers LLC, the property’s current owner, have argued that it was necessary to demolish the property due to a range of structural failures. On Thursday, May 7, Jibril and the co-owners of Recovery Bike Shop on Central Avenue entered an agreement to transfer ownership of the property. Above, Seth Stattmiller speaks to a crowd on Sunday May 10 about the house and its future. (Luis de Leon)
A clear and brisk Sunday morning on May 10 drew a crowd of enthusiastic Northeast residents outside a property with a contested reputation. The Historic John Cook House, on 18th Ave. NE, has been long viewed as an eyesore by some and a cornerstone of the neighborhood’s history by others.
The gathering marked a major victory in the effort to preserve the property after months of demolition applications and debates involving developers, attorneys and city council members. The property’s owner, Abubakar Jibril of 1717 Developers LLC, accepted an offer from a group of Northeast residents seeking to save the house from demolition.
“This is what Northeast is,” Seth Stattmiller, co-owner of Recovery Bike Shop on Central Ave, told the crowd, “Hopefully we’ll be able to make this a community resource. So in a sense, this is our victory lap. We sprinted to get here. And now we get to run the marathon!”
According to the city, the Cook House, built in 1899 by mason and house builder John L. Cook, was designated a local historic landmark in 2021 for its association with Northeast Minneapolis’ immigrant heritage and its distinctive Queen Anne architectural style. The brick home shows the area’s late 19th-century Scandinavian immigrant housing, located within walking distance of several Swedish and Norwegian churches that once anchored the neighborhood’s cultural fabric, the city’s website says.
The Northeaster has been reporting on the Cook House since last fall when the Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission denied a demolition application following dueling presentations about the property between city staff and representatives for Jibril, as well as energized public commenters.
Among other things, Jibril’s representatives argued that demolition was necessary, citing a wide range of structural failures. Whereas several commissioners speculated the property was in a state of “demolition by neglect” citing a lack of maintenance on the property over the years. City records show the home was registered as vacant in 2014. Public sale records show the home was sold in 2019 to the current owner and later condemned in 2020 after years of neglect and lack of maintenance.
A month after the initial denial, the Minneapolis Business, Housing & Zoning Committee considered the application, but passed the item up to city council for consideration. Just before the holidays, city council voted to pass the issue back to city staff after reaching an agreement with Jibril to sell the property within 6 months.
It was at this time that Recovery Bike Shop co-owners Seth Stattmiller and Elizabeth Richardson led the charge in organizing what they say would end up being more than 60 community members to commit time, funds and ideas on purchasing the property.
On May 7, a vote on the property’s future was expected to take place. Elliott Payne, Council President and member representing Ward 1, had moved to give the item “one more cycle” before council considered it. The City Council approved the motion.
On May 8, the following day, Stattmiller and Richardson announced that Jibril had accepted their offer to purchase the Cook House.
While the final offer has not yet been disclosed, Stattmiller and Richardson said they were able to make an offer at the property’s assessed land value of $131,200.
Jibril countered the offer, which was accepted. Taking inspections into account, the closing process will still take several more weeks, but Stattmiller and Richardson hope to close by the end of June.
“There’s been so much interest in this house for so long that it’s a boost in the spirit of the people that want to hang on to what Northeast is and has been — without just putting in a parking lot,” Minneapolis resident Jon Shelley said at the gathering on May 10.
Shelley was one of the first people to commit to contributing funds to help purchase the home. While growing up in the neighborhood, he often drove past the home. Shelley explained that he saw the property listed for sale online and connected with Stattmiller and Richardson about the effort.
“The history is amazing to me. But I see it as a space that could enhance things that are already going on in Northeast with regards to local businesses, the arts, a place for community to kind of hang out,” Shelley said.
Residents walked, cycled and drove to the Cook House on Sunday, May 10 for a morning meetup. Interested parties have expressed various ideas for the site. (Luis de Leon)
Uncertain but optimistic
Residents have proposed many ideas for the property. Some have mentioned turning the property into a multifamily housing unit (specifically a duplex), while others have suggested creating a community center. Residents have also floated ideas for community gardens and artist spaces.
While the property’s future is still being worked out, Stattmiller and Richardson said that for now, having their offer accepted serves as an example of what grassroots community organizing can lead to.
“Together we undertook this effort because we believe that preserving our cultural heritage is vital to the vibrancy of our communities,” Richardson said. “Built by and home to workers and crafts people, many of them immigrants, who built Northeast into what it is today, it epitomizes the diversity that makes our community so special.”