Staff photo by Fritz Busch Brown County commissioners hosted a workshop regarding the Elixir building Tuesday. Brown County owns the building and leases it to MRCI-New Ulm.

NEW ULM — Brown County commissioners discussed the Elixir building at a post-board meeting workshop Tuesday.

Located at 2100 North Broadway, the building was leased to the MRCI-New Ulm and owned by the Brown-Nicollet Community Health Board until Nicollet County withdrew from a joint powers agreement as of Jan. 1, 2025.

As part of the agreement, Brown County will pay Nicollet County $400,000 for Nicollet County’s share of the Elixir building that will be leased to MRCI-New Ulm in 2025. The Elixir (reserve) fund balance will be split evenly with Brown and Nicollet County each receiving $95,827.50.

Owned by Brown County, the Elixir eastern end of the Elixir building may be used for new electric buses being ordered by Herman Express of New Ulm.

“I think it would be a good move for Heartland Express. Maybe we can come up with a solution where everybody wins. I think we should do a walk-through of the Elixir building with MRCI-New Ulm and Enterprise North leaders after the Jan. 21 board meeting,” said Commissioner Scott Windschitl.

MRCI creates innovative employment for people with disabilities or disadvantages at home, at work and in the community in Brown, Blue Earth, Nicollet, Sibley, Le Sueur and other southern Minnesota counties. Services include job exploration counseling, work-based learning and on-the-job evaluation.

Enterprise North is a private, non-profit corporation worked with local businesses to provide meaningful employment and supporting people with disabilities. Emphasis is placed on skill acquisition in vocational and social development to expand individual personal capacities with daily living skill programs.

In November, Heartland Express Transit Manager Pat LaCourse told commissioners he’s a step closer to securing an electric transit bus grant for two Hermann Express buses. He said a $144,000 grant with 80/20 or 90/10 matching funds available, could be used for buses, infrastructure improvements, chargers, staff training, EMTs, mechanics and transit building solar power installation.

South County Health Alliance awarded a $191,090 grant to Brown County Human Services this year, $100,000 of the grant will go to the Elixir fund balance. Grant funds, expected to be received in late January, will also be used for planned improvements at the Brown County Human Services building, 1117 Center.

LaCourse said the electric buses would work best on New Ulm (Hermann Express) routes at this time.

He said the rear warehouse portion of the Elixir building property could be used as an electric bus work station. He said the electric bus charges are movable.

“The rear part of the Elixir building could be perfect to house two electric buses. To me, it’s a win-win for all of us to help with building upkeep. I see this as a two-phase project. Phase 1 would be putting electric buses in the building. Phase 2 would be moving our business offices into the Elixir building property,” said LaCourse.

He said a big reason for electric bus manufacturing delays is that there are very few companies building them now since other companies stopped building them because they couldn’t build them fast enough for demand.