Losing Historic Stories From a Prime Piece of Real Estate

Of all the real estate stories we have read over the years, none are sadder than the razing of historic properties to make room for modern, ugly, and, let's face it, tacky office buildings.

The latest is the pending fate of an historic home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, which has the misfortune of sitting on a prime real estate corner near the city's downtown area. A $12 million office complex of five to three stories is planned for the site.

From looking at a photo of the property, it doesn't seem like much.

Here's what the news account had to say about the house:

Meanwhile, the Hansen Family Partnership hopes to find a new owner for the historic three-story, 12-bedroom house so it can be moved off site and spared being bulldozed, Hagen said. The Hansen group is offering the house for free plus a $10,000 moving allowance.

Hagen said he has had more than 150 inquiries about the house, which was built and originally owned by the Van Eps family, as well as a couple of showings. "I've asked people to submit their proposals (to take the house) by May 1," he said.

Twelve bedrooms? That's not a house, it's a mini-hotel! What stories its wall could tell us. But I don't think anyone is asking.

What a tragedy to lose a bit of history in the interest of developing that real estate for cold-hearted business.