Metro Bus Renovating Historic Downtown Bank Building

ST. CLOUD -- Metro Bus is almost ready to open its new Mobility Training Center in downtown St. Cloud. The building, at 700 West St. Germain, opened in 1951 as the American National Bank. Since then it has had a few different uses.

Metro Bus spokesman Tom Cruikshank says it was a bank until the late 1960's. Stearns County used the building for office space until the 1980's. Cruikshank says Tri-CAP then moved into that space and stayed there until 2009. The building remained vacant until Metro Bus bought it in 2012.

The building required extensive renovation. Cruikshank says they had to remove asbestos, replace windows and update the wiring and plumbing. They also had to replace the elevator and remove an old steam boiler that was used to heat the building years ago.

Metro bus received a $1,000,000 state grant to help buy and renovate the building. The total cost is estimated at about $2,200,000.

The building will be used as a travel training center and for employee training.

It's scheduled to be open by July 1st.