Housing plan may save historic Kasson school building

A battle over what to do with a historic public school building in southern Minnesota appears to be resolved.

Kasson city leaders approved a conditional use permit to redevelop the 1918 public school building, which has been vacant and the center of controversy for nearly a decade.

A local preservation group bought the school from the city two years ago and has a purchase agreement with a Kansas City, Mo.-based developer Cohen-Esrey to convert it into a 24-unit affordable housing complex.

Some residents are concerned about the project's proposed density in the residential neighborhood, said Mike Martin, Kasson's planning and zoning director.

"Yes, this is a dense housing use," Martin said. "It may not be the most attractive use of this property. But if not this, what?"

The project still faces a few hurdles, he added, including qualifying for low-income housing and historic preservation tax credits.