As the Grand Marais Public Library did while its building was being reconstructed, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Grand Marais office will be leasing space at Cook County Independent School District 166 during its upcoming renovation. At press time, DNR staff was moving into the west end of the school building.
DNR Northeast Region Facilities Manager Roger Erickson said requests for bids also went out last week and it is hoped that asbestos abatement will start on October 1 at the DNR building just off Highway 61 east of Grand Marais. The rest of the work will begin as soon as the DNR has a contract with the successful bidder, likely in mid-October.
A state architect did the design work and consultants were hired for the electrical and mechanical schematics. It is anticipated that the work will be done by June 2013. The estimated cost of the renovation is $600,000.
Erickson said when the project is finished, it will be “an all new office.” The project will include an approximately 28-foot addition where there used to be a modular trailer.
The modular trailer, which had been in use for 14 years, was removed in 2008 because it had been deemed unsuitable for habitation. The trailer was intended to be a temporary solution to the lack of office space.
In 2006, the DNR had hoped to construct a completely new permanent building. At that time the DNR and the Cook County – Grand Marais Economic Development Authority (EDA) discussed the possibility of constructing a new DNR headquarters in the Cedar Grove Business Park in Grand Marais. However, the state legislature did not include the project in the state bonding bill.
In 2010, then-County Engineer Shae Kosmalski initiated discussion with the DNR about moving operations into a maintenance facility to be shared with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, Cook County, the city of Grand Marais, School District 166 and Arrowhead Transit. That proposal never came to fruition.
Erickson said the renovated space would be opened up to include a couple of offices, workstations and a dispatch area. “It will definitely make it more efficient for our staff and will make it friendlier to the public,” said Erickson.
The DNR building houses staff from DNR Fisheries, Forestry and Wildlife, as well as the state sentence-to-serve crew leader. About a dozen full time people work in the Grand Marais office with additional staff added seasonally.
While the work is being done, DNR staff will be found at School District 166 in the space that was formerly the superintendent’s office. The DNR is paying a lease of $2,557.50 a month, which will give the DNR 12 designated parking spaces for employee vehicles and DNR pickups.
Erickson said the details were still being worked out, but he hoped that the school district would allow the DNR to have a sign at the front of the building.
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