Rice County's Board of Commissioners acquired most of the eight properties intending to use the land for a jail expansion.
Once the board decided not to use the properties for a jail expansion, it needed to consider what it envisioned for the block, a gateway to Faribault’s historic downtown.
The buildings, anywhere from 65 to 120 years old, had a variety of issues, including outdated mechanical systems and structural problems, common with structures of that age.