New Owners Plan Renovation of Historic St. Cloud Mansion

ST. CLOUD -- One of the oldest most historic homes in St. Cloud is getting new life.

The home known as the "Foley Mansion" has stood vacant since a fire gutted the inside back in the early 2000s.

Now, according to city documents, Allen and Carmen Arvig have bought the property with the goal of restoring it. The Arvigs run a telecommunications company in Perham.

The Foley Mansion property includes the house and an outbuilding at 385 3rd Avenue South in St. Cloud. It was built in 1889 by a lumber and railroad magnate and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The completed price tag to build the home was $35,000.

The property has stood vacant ever since the fire.

It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and is officially listed as the "Foley-Brower-Bohmer" House.  Tim Foley built it and he and his family started the town of Foley.  The Brower family then purchased it and they are credited with the start of Browerville.  The Bohmer family for several decades from the 1930s through the 1970s.

The Arvigs plan is to renovate the existing structure into a single-family home and reception hall. The second and third floors will be used as a home with the main floor and lower level used for public neighborhood gatherings. Investments will also be made to the building exterior and the grounds.

The St. Cloud Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the owner's request for rezoning the property on May 12th, the city council will hold their public hearing on May 18th, and the Heritage Preservation Commission will consider a historic alteration permit on May 26th.