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The old Winona Middle School auditorium, abandoned when Dist. 861 built a new middle school on Old Homer Road, has sat empty. Metro Plains, its owner, has not found a use for the building, which has generated over $1 million dollars for the firm in historical credits. A request to rezone it for an alcohol-free nightclub and storage facility failed. |
Winona Planning Commission members shot down a request for a zone change for the old Middle School Auditorium property on Fifth Street, recommending with a 5-1 vote that the City Council deny the request.
Tied to a bid to turn the historic theater into an alcohol-free nightclub, recent WSU grad Michael Majerowicz requested the zone change from Residential 3 to Business 3, a change that would have allowed him to use the space as a storage facility while he raised money to fund rehab of the auditorium.
During a public hearing Monday, library and arts advocates, along with neighbors of the proposed nightclub, objected to the plans. Some feared that Majerowicz would never be able to raise the kind of money it would take to bring the building up to code; others feared a nightclub would be too disruptive to the adjacent apartments and residential neighborhood. Still others said that plans are in the works that could restore the auditorium to its old glory to be used once again as an arts and theater spot, and that Majerowicz’s plans could spoil that possibility for years to come.
Majerowicz said that he was willing to work with other interested parties on a shared effort for the space, and that if his nightclub plan was realized it wouldn’t mean the building couldn’t be used for theater and arts events. He said he’d worked with Mayor Jerry Miller, who called the plans a good idea, adding that the library could possibly gain some extra renovated space within his nightclub plans.
One of the most attractive things about the 19,000 square foot space, said Majerowicz, was that it could accommodate the crowds he expected for such a nightclub in Winona. His first effort for such an alcohol-free spot was in collaboration with Winona State University and called Myst -- a dance club event that drew in 1,300 people to Tiger’s Bar on Third Street with its debut. Majerowicz said that he planned to continue leasing the Tiger’s space to help raise money to renovate the Middle School Auditorium.
“I think it’s a great place that will first attract students, and second, accommodate their capacity,” said Majerowicz.
Planning Commission member Rich Jarvinen said that he was uncomfortable with the initial plans for the space to be used for commercial storage, fearing that the move might mean the historic structure could become a permanent warehouse.
Margaret Shaw Johnson, part of a committee studying a potential performing arts complex downtown, spoke against the rezone. She said that while the project was an admirable idea, the old Middle School Auditorium was not the right spot. “This is not just any other building,” she said. “If [renovating the auditorium] were a simple or cheap project, believe me, it would have been done a long time ago. This cannot be done on a shoestring budget.”
Johnson also objected to changes to the auditorium’s interior, adding that architects who’d toured the building as a potential spot for the performing arts center complex had been “blown away” by the beauty and value of the historic auditorium. Even the old seats, she said, were important. “If those seats are ripped out, that building takes a huge hit both in historic and aesthetic value.”
Library advocates also objected to the plans, fearing that a nightclub at the site would cost the library the possibility of expanding, while remaining in its current own historic building next door.
Neighbor Marie Holmquist said that because there was no off-street parking for the auditorium, late night clubbing would come with foot traffic and at the expense of peace and quiet in her neighborhood. She said she also feared what might come if the rezone was granted, and the nightclub plans failed.
Local arts advocate David Echelard said that he supported an alcohol-free club but not at that site, and encouraged city leaders to develop a real vision for supporting arts in Winona. “The word is out that Winona is a big arts community,” he said. “Is this just talk? Does the city really back the arts community?”
Majerowicz said that he hadn’t been aware that there was so much interest in the auditorium, but wanted to work with those who hold different visions for the Middle School site. He said that it was the perfect time to begin collaborating because so many who cared about the historic theater were coming together. “I want to do what’s best for the community as a whole,” he said, adding whether it be his business venture, or not.
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