County Board to investigate cost of demolishing City Auditorium

by April Scheinoha
Reporter

The Pennington County Board has formally voted to investigate the cost of possibly demolishing City Auditorium. Commissioners approved the investigation at their meeting Tuesday, July 11.

The county has already investigated the cost of asbestos abatement for the county-owned building, which is located on the southwest side of the intersection of Second Street and Main Avenue in Thief River Falls. As part of this latest investigation, the Building Committee will also investigate how to have the building removed from the National Register of Historic Places.

City Auditorium was dedicated in February 1934 after the former City Auditorium burned down a year earlier. In 2022, the county budgeted slightly more than $30,000 to maintain City Auditorium. The county currently leases the building to the Thief River Falls Amateur Hockey Association, St. Bernard’s Catholic School and the City of Thief River Falls (for a city volleyball league). Rental fees don’t cover the cost of operating the building.

Over the past 16 years, commissioners have discussed the future of City Auditorium. In the past, commissioners have noted that City Auditorium is in disrepair. The roof and wiring are in poor shape. The building also fails to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If anything were done with the building, the county would also have to pay for asbestos abatement.

If the county chose to move forward with renovating City Auditorium, it is expected that it would cost several million dollars.

To help it determine how to proceed, in 2019, the county hired a University of Minnesota senior research fellow and a graduate student to obtain public input and craft a design if the county were to keep the building and restore it. The work was covered by grants and private donations.

After meeting with the public, Virajita Singh and Kenos Leong proposed the following:

• Building a handicapped-accessible entrance between the Pennington County Government Center and City Auditorium, and installing an elevator;

• In the basement: Renovating an area for a childcare center, installing cardio machines for the public, renovating a bathroom, creating a gathering hub, creating a multipurpose room/rental party room, updating the kitchen for community use, and creating a storage area for Thief River Falls Area Community Theater;

• On the ground floor: Creating a garden, a nature playground, an information desk area, a coffee bar and a co-working/quiet room. The stage and gym floors would remain there.

• On the second floor: Creating a history gallery, a learning center (for technology and art) and an art gallery. However, one row of balcony seats would remain on the second floor.

The investigation was approved after Josh Kappes approached commissioners about holding a Destination Pro wrestling event April 20, 2024, at City Auditorium. Destination Pro has held similar professional wrestling events at the National Guard Armory in Thief River Falls. Kappes said City Auditorium is the only building in Thief River Falls with wrestling history. Commissioners took Kappes’ request under advisement.

Commissioner Bruce Lawrence informed Kappes that the building isn’t ADA-compliant and restrooms are located in the basement. Balcony seating has also been blocked off.