'Rescue Team' for Historic St. Paul Firehouse Noted in Media

On Monday, March 21, Faegre Baker Daniels partners Rick Duncan and Tom Schroeder, and associate Ariel Howe, appeared before Judge Margaret Marrinan to save the oldest municipal building in St. Paul, Hope Engine Company No. 3.

The hearing came just days after the team learned the city would issue a demolition permit to the new owner, St. Paul developer David Brooks, that very Monday. Duncan convinced the judge to grant a temporary restraining order ex parte and the FaegreBD team rushed to tape a copy of the order to the building’s door.

By Wednesday, after days of unsuccessful attempts at service, bulldozers arrived at the site. With a flurry of activity, Judge Marrinan, her clerk and the FaegreBD team set out to ensure the safety of the building. Since then, the rest of the block has been demolished, but the firehouse remains standing.  

A hearing is set where Judge Marrinan, a Ramsey County judge with deep knowledge of St. Paul's history, will decide whether to grant an injunction against Hope Engine’s demolition. Plaintiffs hope a settlement can be reached and the building can be repurposed in a useful way that preserves this historical landmark.

The case and attorneys involved have been featured in several prominent media sources, including TPT's Almanac and the Star Tribune.