St. Paul Crocus Hill home demolition gets court's OK

The two-story Victorian at 27 Crocus Place, built in 1902, overlooks Pleasant Avenue and Interstate 35E. The house is considered a "contributing" structure of the Historic Hill District, but is not a "distinguished" or historic property. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi)

The owners of a 1902 Victorian home on Crocus Hill have won the right to demolish it after suing the city of St. Paul in Ramsey County District Court.

Fred and Renee Pritzker said they bought the 4,200-square-foot house at 27 Crocus Place in November from Fred's brother, with the intention of tearing it down and building a new home accessible for their severely disabled adult son.

The city issued the Pritzkers a demolition permit Jan. 7 and revoked it the same day after noting that the house sits in the Historic Hill District. The historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, though the home itself is not.

In his ruling Monday, Judge Robert Awsumb noted that the Pritzkers "acted with an abundance of caution" in checking with multiple city departments -- including the city's Historic Preservation Office -- before spending $875,000 to buy the home and prepare it for demolition.

Awsumb granted the Pritzkers' request for an injunction against the city, effectively barring the city from suspending the demolition permit. He granted both sides until April 21 to work out the details.

"The best outcome would have been that they didn't do this in the first place, which was clearly wrong," Fred Pritzker said Tuesday. "I'm relieved that we can start moving forward now. All along, all we wanted was fairness. We're not trying to do something we weren't entitled to do. We're just trying to provide the best opportunities for our son moving forward."

"We care passionately about the neighborhood, and we want to stay there," he said.

Laura Pietan, interim city attorney, said her office was still evaluating the decision and had no comment Tuesday.

The court order does not rule out the possibility of the city appealing the decision. In fact, the judge noted that the Minnesota Court of Appeals has the sole jurisdiction to address the legal issue of whether an environmental assessment is required in the case.

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St. Paul Crocus Hill home demolition gets court's OK