The Coldwell Banker Commercial (CBC) Fisher Group from Mankato is handling the development of the George’s Ballroom site. Tuesday, members of Fisher Group spoke to New Ulm Rotary Club on the current plans for the new building.

Fisher Group managing director Dain Fisher gave an overview of the plans for George’s Ballroom, but was also seeking input from the public on what they would like to see with the new building.

Fisher said he was not as familiar with George’s Ballroom as many of New Ulm’s longtime residents and valued input on how best to proceed with the project.

“I want to absorb all the information around this project and know where it came from, to know where it needs to go,” he said. “What can we learn before we start to create?”

Members of CBC Fisher Group, Dain Fisher (right) and Emily Griebel (left) speak to the New Ulm Rotary Club on the plans to develop the George’s Ballroom site. Fisher Group managing director Dain Fisher began the talk by seeking input from New Ulm residents on what should be incorporated into the new development.

One of the top suggestions Fisher Group has received is preserving George’s sign. He said there is a possibility the sign could be salvaged and incorporated into the new building or be given to another group for preservation.

Other items considered for preservation were booths from the ballroom and an interior wall signed by visiting musicians who played the ballroom.

Later in the meeting, executive vice president of CBC Fisher Group Wade Abed said it was unlikely items inside the building could be salvaged due to health and safety concerns. George’s sign is salvageable because it is outside.

The State Historical Society does require Fisher Group and the City of New Ulm take certain steps before demolition begins.

City Manager Chris Dalton said the first step is possible artifact recover, going on now. Dalton confirmed the only salvageable item listed at this time is George’s sign.

Last years a street dance was held in front of George’s. Dalton said the street dance was part of the necessary documentation process.

The building’s deconstruction will also needed to be documented to determine if anything else can be saved, though Dalton was doubtful other artifacts could be recovered from inside George’s.

The Fisher Group expressed interest in incorporating the history of George’s Ballroom into the new building.

Abed said George’s was built in the Art Deco style and he would like to see the new building pay homage to the style.

Another suggestion is that the commercial portion of the building have a venue space for live music to reference the building’s past as a ballroom. Other commercial usages included a grocery store, bike shop or pharmacy.

Though the new building will have commercial space, the focus is on residential.

“It is going to be primary housing,” Fisher said. “We will have apartments for rent and lease and some commercial spaces and parking.”

There is currently no fixed number for total apartment units, but Fisher estimated between 75 and 95 units based on the sites footprint. There will be between 7,500 and 12,000 square feet of commercial and retail space.

The building will have underground parking with garage access on the German Street side of the building. There is a plan to have 16 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations in the garage, though this could change based on demand.

Asked about the timeline for development, Fisher said they hope to have the project in full swing by the fall. This means demolition of George’s Ballroom should begin in the fall at the latest with construction starting next spring. It is possible demolition could occur earlier and construction could begin in fall.

Demolition of George’s is expected to be expensive. Fisher said there was a public/private partnership working to determine how best to demolish the building, but no firm arrangement had been reached.

Fisher said no matter the start date, it will likely take 18 months to construct the new building on this site. He also said the building design is still subject to change.

“We have a lot of design and engineering to get through,” Fisher said.