Architect hired for Armory renovation

By Reed Anfinson
Publisher
Benson’s City Council unanimously approved the bid of Engan Associates of Willmar for architectural design services for the Armory at its meeting Jan. 25.
The three bids the city received were: Engan Associates of Willmar for $97,730,Widseth Architects of Alexandria for $145,636, and Bluementals Architecture of Minneapolis for $161,285.
Representatives of Engan Associates will be meeting soon with the City of Benson to put together a plan for how the space in the building should be organized, City Finance Director Glen Pederson said Monday. That plan will use the report presented by the city-appointed blue ribbon committee that studied the building and its potential future uses.
There is no timeline yet for when work will get underway on the building’s renovation, Pederson said. At the soonest, the architects have estimated it would be in the fall, he said. However, it could be much later.
Due to the high cost of construction materials today, the city may consider holding off until later in the year to see if prices come down, Pederson said.
The later it gets into the year, the more likely it is that prices will also be higher on bids. Many contractors will already have their schedules full, which means there will be fewer bids and those bids could be higher since they don’t necessarily need the work.
Benson’s National Guard Armory was constructed in 1927 and turned over to the City of Benson in 1993. For the most part, it maintained the building updating its exterior and roof when needed. But faced with more than $1 million in costs for a major renovation of the aged building, Benson’s council decided in early 2021 to tear it down.
It was through the efforts of the proponents for renovating the building that it was saved. Its gymnasium provides a 7,000-square-foot area that would not be easy to replace, the council was told by supporters of the building.
In April 2021, the council rejected the bids for the Armory’s demolition and instead appointed a blue ribbon committee to explore potential future uses for it. The committee was given three months to submit its report.
However, renovation costs remained a major challenge if the building was to be saved. That challenge was addressed last August when the city was awarded a $678,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) for renovations for the armory.
The funds from the state were received under the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Some of those funds had been set aside for a special allocation to address community needs to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
Benson’s grant application outlined how the armory could be used to respond for emergency management needs, including use as a storm shelter for people stranded during a blizzard or needing shelter following a tornado; for food distribution; or as an emergency management headquarters.
In the past, the Armory has been used for public health events, including vaccinations and blood drives. Elections and employee training have taken place in the building.
The blue-ribbon committee presented the Benson City Council a $1.278 budget for renovating the building as part of its final report.
In May 2021, the council voted 3 to 1 vote to match the state grant funds with $600,000 of its own if awarded with Council Members Jack Evenson, Lucas Olson, and Mark Schreck voting for it. Jon Buyck voted no.
Members of the blue ribbon committee were Council Members Jack Evenson and Lucas Olson along with Glen Pederson, Jon Dokken, Kerry Wilcox, Dianne Doscher and Anne Johnson.
Benson Economic Development Coordinator Hillary Tweed was instrumental in writing the grant for the state funds and has been coordinating the city’s efforts to renovate the Armory.
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