Two buildings on Fifth Street in downtown Grand Forks will come down soon to provide parking for Central High School.
Grand Forks Public Schools has acquired the YWCA building at 121 N. Fifth St. and the building at 211 N. Fifth St. Demolition of the YWCA building could begin this week.
Public Schools business manager Bill Hutchison said the high school needs more parking for students and staff and the two lots, along with another lot between the two, would help.
"We're renting spots from the city in (the) central ramp but we need something," Hutchison said.
The district lost parking spaces at the former Civic Auditorium lot when construction started on apartments there.
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The YWCA has been unused for several years and efforts to develop it into something new have not worked. The most recent attempt was a year ago when a plans to turn it into 25 apartments were stymied by the lack of parking for tenants.
Started in 1950
The YWCA building was constructed between 1950 and 1953 while supporters raised money for the facility, said Peg O'Leary, coordinator for the Grand Forks Historic Preservation Commission.
It closed in 1970 when the YWCA merged with the YMCA, now called The Y. Central High used the building until the school built its addition in the 1980s. After that, it was home to a number of youth-oriented businesses but has been mostly unused in recent years.
O'Leary said she did not like to see downtown buildings demolished for parking, but the YWCA building was significant as less for its architecture than as a part of the movement to extend exercise opportunities to women.
Demolition contractors Gowan Construction, whose president, Milton Gowan, tried to develop apartments in the YWCA building last year, will demolish the building. School officials plan to save the stone in the façade with "YWCA" engraved in it. Hutchison said workers last week found a time capsule under the building's cornerstone containing the Sept. 30, 1951 Herald and photographs of YWCA supporters.
The building at 211 N. Fifth St. was occupied by Grand Cities Games, which has relocated to 120 N. Washington St.
Hutchison said the Grand Forks School Board may decide to build a two-story parking structure across the three parking lots, possibly cutting off Second Avenue. The district would gain about 165 spaces with a garage and about 90 without, he said.
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"We're going to take a look at the cost," Hutchison said. "Nothing's been finalized."
Grand Forks Schools is spending $577,000 for the acquisition, demolition and construction of a parking lot at 121 N. Fifth, Hutchison said. It paid $275,000 for the building at 211 N. Fifth, but has not bid out the demolition work.
The district acquired the city-owned lot between the buildings in a deal that allowed city employees to park at the district's lot at Fourth Street and Fourth Avenue North, Hutchison said.
Reach Bjorke at (701) 780-1117; (800) 477-6572, ext. 117; or send e-mail to cbjorke@gfherald.com .
