By Sara StrongThe house on the southeast corner of Main Street and Highway 75 in Luverne, known as the Britz house, will be sold and removed this summer. High bid for the home at 219 W. Main St. came in at $10 from Darrel Van Aartsen. Vince Gacke submitted a bid for "zero," not meeting the advertised bid requirements, and was the only other bidder.The Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau has expressed an interest in turning the corner into a point of interest to draw travelers down Main Street.In 2001, the city also went through the bidding process for the Britz house. High bid for the house then came in at $1,500 from Rich Dreckman. The council at that time rejected the bid, saying it would prefer to move the house to the airport and use it as a home for a potential resident airport manager.The house cost the city $56,000 when it was purchased in 1999 for a possible turning lane.Airport plans slowingThe Council approved a capital improvement plan for the airport, including spending $15,000 on snow removal equipment.The Federal Aviation Administration entitlement monies of $150,000 have to be spent by Sept. 30 and can go toward capital purchases and land acquisition. The Airport Board recommended the purchase as the environmental assessment for the new runway is stalled at the federal level. The assessment needs to be completed before the expansion project can move into the land acquisition phase.
