Featured, Local News
Czech Village wants to keep roundhouse
Posted on Oct 05, 2009 by Cindy Hadish.
The Riverside Roundhouse and the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Czech Village both flooded in June 2008. Museum officials want to build a new museum — elevated with a parking level — on the site of the city-owned roundhouse, and village business owners hope the structure can be moved and preserved.
Business owners want to preserve a piece of Czech Village history.
Czech Village Association members hope to move the Riverside Roundhouse to keep it in the business district.
The roundhouse, used for farmers markets for decades, is at risk of being torn down if the city allows the site to be used by the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library.
Museum officials propose constructing a building at the site and are asking the city to move or demolish the roundhouse, 1350 A St. SW. Both were damaged in last year’s flood.
Parks and recreation director Julie Sina said the estimated cost to repair the roundhouse was $354,700, but because of its location near the river, only $109,000 would be federally reimbursed.
Village association members realize nothing has been finalized yet, but they would like the chance to save the roundhouse if the city and museum enter an agreement.
Alex Andersen, owner of Ernie’s Avenue Tavern, 69 16th Ave. SW, said the roundhouse could be used for Houby Days and other festivals.
The roundhouse, which has a kitchen and accommodates 250 people, also could be rented for events such as wedding receptions, he said.
Proceeds would go to beautification and other efforts in Czech Village.
Andersen said the city could provide land abutting the business district on 17th Avenue SW, where flood-damaged homes are slated for demolition.
The association is seeking moving estimates, but much of the work would be done by members.
“We will be looking for volunteers,” Andersen said. The group also discussed a possible fundraiser and noted it would be saving the city the cost of demolition.
Built in 1962, the roundhouse falls just a few years short of the 50 years needed to be considered for historic designation, Andersen said.
Local historian Mark Stoffer Hunter said the roundhouse was designed so farmers could back up their trucks to the stalls.
“It’s an interesting municipal piece of history,” he said.
The building was used for markets until 2007, then used for rentals.
“We have the opportunity to save our piece of Americana,” said John Carl Berge, co-owner of the Czech Outlet, 76 16th Ave. SW. “We just need the city’s support.”
It makes me feel sad not to see it in it's old location anymore, after all the years of helping at the Christkindel Markt.
When Metro first started they a garden and we as students would go there and sell the produce,DW was one of the teachers that would also go to supervise us.That was back close to 33 years ago,if something is gonna happen to it I'd say move it there's many memories for alot of people in that building.
Was the damage at the Czech museum that bad? Other businesses around there are up and running, a lot of hard work, but it can be done. And what are you going to do with the existing building? I say stop wasting money, even people are living in their homes right done the street from the musuem, and yet they (Czech musuem)would rather build across the street with a new one, pretty sad.
Its absolutely ridiculous that this isn't still the site of the farmer's markets on a weekly basis. If it weren't for the self-serving administration and elitist downtowners' views to try like hell to draw people to their awesome display of culture by forcing local downtown businesses to deal with closed streets/cramped parking once a month on weekends to host the farmers markets with tables and tents rather than a building designed solely for that purpose…and the regular market being held just across the river in a parking lot every other weekend only because its still in what these elitists deem acceptable location to be included in their grandiose downtown area…pathetic.
Czech Village want to keep the roundhouse. Really?
Is this reflected in the dollars toward maintenance invested by the Czech Village into buildings in and around the Czech Village? IF the Czech Villagers and farmers market types REALLY want that building, then they should be willing to pay a percentage toward taxes and upkeep of the building. Right now, I'm sure the building needs at least extensive cleaning after the floods. Is that 'kitchen' still intact, or was it removed and sold off when the building was closed?
I'd say that those who want to keep this thing need to fully understand the financial burden they are committing themselves to. This isn't another freeby.
build next to a river and you are just asking for it. not ONE thin government dime should be spent on any of that. That’s what insurance is for. IF you are in a flood zone – and most of czech village is – and you don’t carry insurance – you are living on borrowed time, too bad, so sad. the ones i feel sorry for are the ones that could not get flood insurance because they were outside the 100 year plain and got hosed in 08. THOSE i feel sorry for. The others? sorry, NO. we have become a society where we don’t want to cover our own risk and take responsibility for our actions, and expect that Uncle Sam will jsut step up with an interest free or forgiveable loan. that’s BS, i am sorry!