County receives no interest in Pine River building space

WALKER -- Cass County didn't receive any response to advertising for proposals to lease or buy space from the county in the Community Resource Center in Pine River.

The county board voted Tuesday to table any additional action to seek someone to rent or buy space in the building until other county capital improvement projects progress further.

Administrator Robert Yochum said the county's next step after that could be to engage services from an area real estate firm to seek occupants for the building.

The county obtained three units (all of the easterly half of the building except a small, privately owned insurance office) from the original building owner, Dick Houston.

The rear section was remodeled into an office for Cass County Extension Services. That section was vacated Jan. 1, when University of Minnesota Extension Services established regional offices.

The regional center covering Cass County is in Brainerd.

The center section is a public meeting space. It includes basic kitchen appliances. The county uses this space less often since extension services moved out of the building.

County employees use only the front office space on a regular basis. It is divided into cubicles. County departments providing services from that office include the sheriff's department, environmental services, extension nutrition and veterans services.

Cass County Economic Development Corp. has been provided space for its newly hired staff person, Gail Leverson, to conduct office work from the center.