ALEXANDRIA – The old Carnegie building in Alexandria recently got something new – a better roof.
The building’s owner, Intrepid Development Corporation, received a building permit from the Alexandria Building Department for a demolition and reroofing project. According to the permit, the value of the project was estimated at $22,478.
Located at the corner of Seventh Avenue West and Fillmore Street and built in 1903, the Carnegie Building once housed the Douglas County Library and is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
It is not for sale. According to Douglas County property tax records, the building and land are valued at $285,300 as of August 20, 2024.
According to previous Echo Press articles, the two-story, 5,000-square-foot building served as the Alexandria Public Library (later the Douglas County Library) for more than 90 years.
The City of Alexandria considered the idea of purchasing the building about 10 years ago. The Douglas County Historical Society wanted the city and county to purchase the building and provide the society with the lower floor for historical records and research. At the time, the building’s list price was $799,000. The city decided that the building would not serve a municipal purpose or function and would not be financially cost effective.
The building is one of the largest public libraries in West Central Minnesota, constructed with funds donated by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. In 1903 alone, Carnegie approved funding for 204 libraries across the country.
In November 1995, the Carnegie Building was put up for sale through a silent bidding process. There were six bids and Terry Akenson of Alexandria won the bid for $70,200. He stated that he planned to renovate the building for general office and community use.
In February 1997, the building was sold again to Raymar Associates, LLC of Bloomington.
The interior was extensively remodeled and the basement housed a Catholic bookstore called Our Lady of Peace for a time. Raymar Associates, LLC put the building up for sale for $1 million.
According to county records, Intrepid Development purchased the building from Raymar in September 2014 for $292,500.
Al Edenloff is editor of the twice-weekly Echo Press. He began his journalism career in 10th grade, writing football and basketball stories for the Parkers Prairie Independent.
