|
|
North House Folk School needs to expand but they ran into issues when they proposed to remove the iconic historic Scott Fish House to make room for a new building. With that, the folk school held listening sessions and have come up with a plan to leave the fish house in place and make an offer to purchase the land their main campus buildings are on from the city of Grand Marais. Image is courtesy of North House Folk School
Following the listening sessions hosted in April and May with over 60 community members, North House’s board of directors has worked to find a way forward that integrates key community concerns while also advancing plans for North House campus evolution. The five core concerns identified by North House in initial community conversations were: Impacts on the current fishery, the relocation of the Scott Fish House, ensuring public access to the harbor, the proximity of the building to the lake, and North House’s lease agreement with the city.
On July 13th, North House will be part of the city council meeting and will ask the councilors to begin negotiations that ensure North House’s long-term future on the city-owned parcel that is part of campus. The parcel is central to North House’s operation, including the Red Building, Blue Building, and Blacksmith Shop. Currently the property is leased 25 years at a time by North House, with only 6 years remaining on the current lease. According to the memo to the city, figuring out how the City and North House plan to work together into the coming decades could ensure the future of the commercial fishing operations on the North House dock, protect and restore the Jim Scott Fish House, enhance public access to the harbor, and maintain the character of the waterfront – while also allowing North House to site the new classroom building further from the lake.
As a first step, North House proposes that the City initiates an appraisal and defines a process and timeline for negotiations that position North House to purchase the property that is currently leased from the city.
The initial plans to relocate the Jim Scott Fish House with the Cook County Historical Society was the focus of many of the listening sessions, and the North House board of directors felt that it was important that new plans reflect the community’s desire to avoid moving this structure.
“From the start of our planning process, North House knew that we needed to replace two of our old, outdated classrooms that are too small. Our need for a new building is not about growth but is about making our campus on the south side of Highway 61 work better,” said Executive Director Greg Wright. “To keep the historic fish house on its current foundation, we had to explore new building sites, and the most appropriate space is on the property leased from the city.” Wright added that he believes this proposal is a win-win-win for the community – “The city would receive a clear financial benefit from the sale, an important community asset can be stewarded in place, and North House would be able to address its campus needs with a clear understanding of the future.”
“115 years ago, my great-grandfather built the fish house and worked off the dock, my great-greatgrandmother Catherine Boyer met with folks from Chippewa City there as well – for North House to keep that part of our community’s history is important to me, my father – Terry Scott, and many others,” said Sarah Scott. “I wasn’t sure if my concerns would be heard, but the listening process led by North House has been phenomenal and transparent. Our family supports this new plan and encourages the city council to consider taking action to make it possible,” Laura Scott, Sarah’s sister, went on to say.
Initial brainstorming about what might be possible as part of restoring the Historic Scott Fish House started last month. John Yust, a historic restoration expert, spent a day touring the building and meeting with a number of community members. After the meeting, Tim Cochrane noted “My hat is off to North House for their focused effort to take community concerns seriously. Their willingness to listen, explore new ideas, and look for solutions is opening doors.” No specific ideas have taken shape yet, but multiple ideas have emerged.
Some in the listening sessions asked about the possibility of locating the new building on the property on the north side of Highway 61, which has community history as a potential Ojibwe burial site. “North House has valued our work to date with the Grand Portage Tribal Council and the Minnesota State Archaeologist and we want to continue to work in partnership with the Grand Portage Tribal Council and descendants of Chippewa City as we explore future possibilities with that parcel,” said Wright, “That’s not work we want to put a tight timeline on – it needs to be handled with care and consideration. North House’s board believes the more immediate need for additional classrooms should be addressed using other strategies.”
“I want to reiterate my thanks for everyone who shared feedback with North House – your questions, comments, and concerns have helped us to chart a new path forward that I think we can all be excited about,” Wright said. “We know there are plenty of details to think through – from improving access along the harbor to addressing parking needs – this is why meeting with the city and continuing conversations with community members is so important.”
North House Folk School will be hosting four community conversations to address questions with these new plans on July 14th at 4:30 p.m., July 15th at noon, July 17th at 1 p.m., and July 19th at 7 p.m. All four conversations will take place in the Green Building at North House.
Comments and questions can be directed to Greg Wright gwright@northhouse.org or Tom Morse tmorse@northhouse.org, the school can also be reached at 218-387-9762
Leave a Reply