Dickinson Elks Building project revived after hiatus
After sitting idle for nearly a year, construction on the historic Elks building in downtown Dickinson resumed Tuesday, though city officials have not approved it.
- boom lift
After sitting idle for nearly a year, construction on the historic Elks building in downtown Dickinson resumed Tuesday, though city officials have not approved it.
“We have not extended or issued another extension,” City Administrator Shawn Kessel stated in an email Friday. “A lawsuit is still a possibility.”
Brinkman has been involved in other lawsuits and there have allegedly been hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid work associated with renovating the building, according to a previous Press article.
Brinkman purchased the building from the city in 2005, which stipulated he complete renovations within a given time or ownership was to revert to back the city.
A 2007 fire gutted the building, causing delays in renovations.
“We’re looking for a June completion date,” said Granville “Beaver” Brinkman, owner of Dickinson Elks, LLC. “We’re moving forward and doing what we said we would do. We’ll keep doing that.”
However, Brinkman has broken promises to have work done in the past.
The city has given Brinkman five extensions for renovations. He missed the last deadline of June 30, according to a previous Press article.
A stop work order was placed in a window of the building March 9 because Brinkman did not pay for his $4,227 building permit.
Kessel and Brinkman said the permit was paid for at the beginning of the month.
Brinkman is expected to give an update during Tuesday’s city commission meeting.
“I’m pleased that he’s scheduled to appear before the city commission,” Mayor Dennis Johnson said. “I’m anxious to hear what he has to say about completing the project.”
Johnson declined further comment.
Construction plans include condos on the third floor, a law office on the second floor and a conference space on the first floor, Brinkman said. There is also 780 square feet unspoken for that may be turned into a restaurant and storage, he added.
Brinkman hasn’t ruled out selling the building.
“There’s always that possibility,” he said. “There’s a lot of people looking at it, but we’re moving forward with the original intent and the original occupants and to complete the original project as slated.”
Fargo-based Robert Gibb & Sons worked on heating, ventilation and air conditioning in the building, owner Robert Gibb said.
The company has a claim for about $232,000 against Dickinson Elks LLC, according to the article.
“We’re in the process of resolving it,” Gibb said. “It sounds like there is financing in place.”
Tags: elks building, granville beaver brinkman, shawn kessel, news, dickinson
More from around the web
RSS Feeds