Former Herberger’s Building Could Be Changing Hands

The Herberger's building has been mostly sitting empty since the department store closed in August of 2018.  St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson joined me on WJON.  He indicated there is a purchase agreement in place with a closing expected in late May or early June.  Anderson doesn't know anymore about who the buyer is and what they intend to do with the property.  He says the property is zoned commercial, it could be retail, office space or sub divided.  Anderson expects a significant remodel of the interior of the building.  He says if the purchaser doesn't intend to use the property as it is currently zoned they would need to go the planning commission to seek approval next.  Anderson says it is key and vital to fill that property with an appropriate tenant.

Get our free mobile app

Herberger's was founded by George Robert "Bob" Herberger in 1927 and was a downtown retail icon in St. Cloud.  The former Herberger's building was purchased by Twenty Lake Holdings, a property investment company, in 2020.  In 2023, Midland Credit Management started business operations inside the former Herberger's building. 

The City of St. Cloud has had discussion about purchasing Selke Field.  Anderson says the purchase of the property by the city is "unlikely" but he didn't completely rule it out.  The St. Cloud State owned property is available for private purchase.  It is about 16.28 acres and is zoned R-2 Single Family and Two Family Residential/POS Parks and Open Spaces. The appraised value is $290,000. Anderson says if a developer were to buy the property they would also need to pay for added infrastructure and sewer and water.  It is unclear if the WPA walls would need to stay up or not.

If you'd like to listen to my 2-part conversation with St. Cloud Mayor Jake Anderson, it is available below.