JACKSON -- The Jackson Preservation Alliance was granted a temporary restraining order preventing Jackson County from demolishing a portion of its Resource Center, but must post a $25,000 bond by 4 p.m. Friday to maintain the order.
"We have to come up with around $1,000," said Cathy Buxengard, president of the Jackson Preservation Alliance. "We have to put up collateral for the rest."
If the bond is not filed on time, the case may be dismissed with prejudice, meaning the group will not be able to file the restraining order request again.
Buxengard said more than $1,000 had already been raised, adding she did not anticipate any difficulty in raising the collateral, either.
"We're having a meeting (tonight) to decide... what the collateral will be," she said.
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Judge Douglas Richards granted the temporary restraining order last week in Blue Earth County, with about 27 people from the Preservation Alliance in attendance.
Richards set the hearing for the next phase of the injunction process for 9 a.m. Nov. 30 at the Jackson County courthouse.
"The judge wants to have formal testimony in a courtroom, under oath," said Jackson County Attorney Bob O'Connor. "He wanted to hear both sides of the story, and he's going to take evidence on the 30th."
O'Connor expected Richards to issue an order on the 30th quickly because of the timing of Jackson County's demolition bid, which will be good until Dec. 4.
Should the project be delayed until after Dec. 4, the county stands to lose thousands of dollars, because the bid for demolition of the Resource Center was far lower than the county had anticipated, and if the project has to be sent out for bids again, the cost of demolition will likely rise, O'Connor said.
"The lucrative bid the county got will go away," O'Connor explained. "The judge understands that, so he'll issue an order very quickly after the 30th."
If the temporary injunction is granted Nov. 30, the Preservation Alliance will likely have to post an additional bond, with the amount at the judge's discretion.
"(The Resource Center) represents such an important part of the history of Jackson and Jackson County, and of our nation," Buxengard said. "It's a very important part of history. There's so many other cities and towns that saved their historical buildings and they have so much respect for their history and their past."
