A plan to save the historic Cedarhurst Mansion in Cottage Grove calls for 11 additional buildings on the 13-acre site.
The owner of the mansion, Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions LLC, is proposing the addition of 261 living units and three buildings for businesses. The LaCrosse, Wis., company submitted the plan to the City Council at a meeting July 8.
The project, called The Square at Cedarhurst, would be located at Keats Avenue and 70th Street.
The plan calls for demolishing six older existing buildings on the site, but preserving the 26-room mansion at the center.
The plan specifies:
- Five 12-unit townhome buildings, and a nine-unit building.
- A 63-unit mixed-use apartment building which includes a community center.
- A 45-apartment building with businesses on the first floor.
- A 6,000-square-foot commercial building, to the south side on the mansion’s front lawn.
- A mixed-use building on the north side of the lawn, with businesses and 12 apartments.
- A four-story, 72-unit apartment building along the former Military Road.
An official with Three Sixty Real Estate Solutions LLC previously said the historic nature of the property is a plus but operational expenses are high.
The mansion was built in 1867 by Cordenio Severance, a lawyer for railroad tycoon J. J. Hill. In 1911 and 1917, additions were built by Cass Gilbert, the architect of the Minnesota Capitol building and the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington D.C.
For decades Cedarhurst was a nexus of power in Minnesota, hosting four presidents at various times. It fell into disrepair, starting in the 1950s.
The future use of the mansion itself will be determined later.
City officials said that the development of the plans is an ongoing project, and no final decisions have been made.