🌱 Historic Rochester Building Makeover + Condo Evacuated On 5th Ave.

Hi all! I'm back in your inbox this morning to walk you through everything you need to know about what's happening these days in Rochester-Mason City.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: A thundershower in spots. High: 84 Low: 63.
• Tuesday: Partial sunshine. High: 77 Low: 61.

From our sponsor:

Today’s Rochester-Mason City Patch newsletter is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. T-Mobile has invested billions to light up their best network ever, covering 99% of people in America with LTE, which helps to keep communities like ours informed and connected. We thank T-Mobile for their support and for making today’s Rochester-Mason City Patch newsletter possible.

Here are the top three stories in Rochester-Mason City today:

1. A proposal has been submitted to the city of Rochester for the expansion and conversion of a historic downtown building into a 136-room hotel. The building, originally known as Montgomery Ward and constructed in 1937, currently houses the downtown post office and some investment firm offices, but approximately 70 percent of the space remains vacant. Terratron Incorporated and Rochester Broadway Investments have partnered to present a $40.5 million plan that involves refurbishing the existing property and adding eight additional stories to accommodate various new uses. City Council members are now being approached to gauge their interest in the proposal and whether it is favorable to grant the property owner the decision-making authority. (Rochester News Talk)
2. Residents of a condominium on 5th Avenue in Rochester were evacuated temporarily on Friday afternoon due to structural concerns that required construction work. Approximately 180 tenants had to find alternative housing arrangements while the building undergoes repairs to ensure safety. The city, in collaboration with The Red Cross, is actively assisting residents in securing safe accommodations during the construction period, and it is anticipated that all construction materials will be cleared by Jun. 5. (KARE 11 News)
3. Travis Lane Hansen and Andreas Maxwell Schmidt, both from Rochester have been charged in connection with a storage unit burglary at Oronoco Self Storage. The burglaries occurred in late March and the suspects were identified through surveillance footage. Hansen was apprehended on Apr. 14 while attempting to flee from a farm during a search warrant execution, and Schmidt was arrested as he left the property in his truck, which was linked to the incident. Hansen is currently held in Wabasha County Jail for other charges in different counties, while Schmidt was released on bail in April and is scheduled to appear in court this month. (106.9 KROC)

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Today and tomorrow in Rochester-Mason City:

Monday, June 5

• Kids Summer Camp At CrossFit Credence (1:00 PM)
• Paint Together Class At Fat Willy's (6:00 PM)
• Praise & Harmony SongFest At Church Of Christ (6:00 PM)

Tuesday, June 6

• Trans Parenting Rochester At Rochester Public Library (6:00 PM)
• Joel Ward Solo At The Redwood Room (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• You can get a head start on next year's school supplies with United Way of Olmsted County's Running Start for School program. Local students can get a bookbag filled with school supplies for the upcoming year for just $20 making sure that all students can start off the year on the right foot, click here for more information. (Rochester Public Schools via Facebook)
• Owners and operators of buildings over 50,000 square feet are invited by the city of Rochester to attend an open house to learn more about the city's proposed Building Energy Benchmarking Policy. This open house will be from 5:00-8:00 p.m. this Tuesday and a great opportunity to learn how to benchmark their facility and what to expect in the near future. (City of Rochester, MN Government via Facebook)
• Join the Mason City Library and CreativeBug during the month of June for a variety of creative crafts classes. You can learn more on their website. (Mason City Public Library via Facebook)

You're all caught up for today. I'll catch up with you bright and early soon with another update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.