Minneapolis preservation panel denies demolition of 1889 John Cook House at 948 Eighteenth Ave. NE

The Minneapolis Heritage Preservation Commission denied a certificate of appropriateness to demolish the Tyler Street Northeast John Cook House at 948 Eighteenth Avenue Northeast, voting 9-0 on Sept. 30, 2025. The commission concluded staff had shown reasonable alternatives to demolition and that the applicant had not proven the building’s condition required demolition as the only remedy.

The commission’s action came after presentations from city planning staff, the property representative and a structural engineer, and public comment from neighborhood residents who urged preservation of the landmark. The house was designated a Minneapolis landmark in 2021 for social and architectural significance; staff said the building retains its historic integrity despite deterioration.

City planning staff recommended denial. Rob Skolicki, Senior City Planner in CPED’s Historic Preservation Section, told commissioners the department’s analysis found the demolition application did not meet required findings for destruction. “Staff found that the application doesn't meet those five findings,” Skolicki said, adding that removal would eliminate character-defining features and that the submitted materials did not prove the building must be demolished to…