Eau Claire developer wants to replace decrepit building on Water St.

Oct. 30—EAU CLAIRE — A historic two-story building that's stood for 140 years on Water Street is set to be replaced due to its deteriorating condition and a desire to redevelop its desirable location.

Listed in the Register of Historic Places for both Wisconsin and the entire U.S., the Ottawa House, 602 Water St., was built in 1882 as part of the city's recovery from a fire.

The building is an example of "boomtown" commercial architecture, an easy-to-construct frame structure distinguished by a tall rectangular façade. These kinds of buildings are synonymous with frontier towns in the 1800s but were seen in many other communities as well during their early development, according to records of the Ottawa House from the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

The Ottawa House's name, ownership and information in city directories indicates its first floor served as a tavern catering to Eau Claire's French-Canadian residents who worked at lumber mills nearby.

Its most recent use had been as the Wax Paper used bookstore, which went defunct years ago.

Local developer John Mogensen bought 602 Water St. in 2016 and made efforts to reinvest in the historic building, but ran into major problems with the old structure, according to a report from the city's Community Development Department.

When gutting walls and ceilings in the building, Mogensen discovered structural problems with the foundation, walls and joists.

In his application seeking the city's permission to demolish the building, Mogensen noted settling, missing pieces and failure of different sections of the building's foundation, which would require removal of the first and second floors to remedy.

"You cannot fix what is there," he wrote.

An Eau Claire architect who inspected the building also found it to be in bad shape.

"The foundation has failed and needs to be completely replaced," Robert Johnson said in an August letter to the city.

Problems with the building weren't new though, as a 1985 Eau Claire Fire Department report when the building was seeking historical status, noted that the Ottawa House's east wall was settling. The report ends by noting the building's questionable structural means major repairs or demolition may be necessary.

The building's current condition is bad enough that the city has assessed its value at only $10,000. Meanwhile, the 5,544-square-foot lot it sits on along Water Street — known for businesses and housing frequented by UW-Eau Claire students and other city residents — is worth $83,200, according to the city's property records.

After the city's Landmarks Commission agreed during its Sept. 12 meeting that the Ottawa House could be demolished, plans for a new building to take its place have been filed with the city.

Joe Miller, who works at Mogensen's company Investment Realty, is proposing to build a two-story mixed-use building at the lot at 602 Water St.

The ground floor will have two small commercial spaces in the front along Water Street, fit for what's currently in high demand for businesses in Eau Claire.

"For the past three years we have had a noticeable trend with commercial spaces," Miller wrote. "Commercial tenants are looking for smaller spaces in-between the 750- to 1,500-square-foot range."

The rear half of the ground floor will consist of two two-bedroom apartments. The building's second level will be divided into four two-bedroom apartments, based on floor plans submitted to the city.

The new building is being designed to pay homage to its predecessor. Wood lap siding and a decorative front façade evocative of the Ottawa House are part of the plans, according to Miller's letter to the city.

Eau Claire's Plan Commission will hold a public hearing and vote during its 7 p.m. meeting today(Monday) on both the site plan and a rezoning that would include the Ottawa House lot.

The City Council will then hold a public hearing on Nov. 7 before a deciding vote is taken the following day to allow the new building project to proceed.

Other business

Also during tonight's(Monday) Plan Commission meeting:

—Eau Claire GI Associates is looking for approval to create a 7,800-square-foot medical office building on an empty 5-acre lot at 3940 Oakwood Hills Parkway. That lot is between Bremer Bank and the Home2 Suites hotel, along the road that encircles Oakwood Mall.