Fourth and Jackson Sts.

Look to the left at those buildings up ahead?  What do you think they were?  Would you be surprised if we told you they used to be MSU?  Well they were the old campus for Mankato State University Teachers College  until 1979.*

Old Main Retirement Village

Now, they are the Blue Earth County government buildings. 

Today, we call this adaptive reuse.  The buildings were sold in 1979 for $250,000, or about 10 cents a square foot.  The developer sold the complex you are looking at for $75,000 and the old library, which is now the Blue Earth County Government  Center for a dollar.  However, the county turned it down.  Later, Blue Earth County spent $1,000,000 to buy it.

I remember sledding down the
 hills, snowball fights,
and all of the life that used to be
 there

Former
Mankato State
University Teachers
College Student

Can you feel any life here? 
What do you think it used to be like on
weekends?  During finals?  Continue on Fourth St. past Cherry and Warren.  Climb the hill and look left.  Those buildings were once the women's dorms--now they are theColonial Square Apartments. 

Blue Earth Country Govt. Center