MACKENTHUN’S Gourmet Meats

St. Bonifacius

Island View Dining

Waconia.  952-442-2956

CLICKSTART

952-902-2014

Leuthner Well Company

Victoria * 952-443-2582

Swanson Insurance

952-448-4580

The Victoria Fire Department

City of Victoria  952-443-2771
Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box: Text Box:

Headlines

and bylines

Front Page

Feature Story

From the

Editor

Addie’s

Drawing

Letters

to the Editor

Victoria

Moments

Hook

Line & Sinker

Calendar

of Events

Click here to

Advertise

Email

the Gazette

Return to

Home Page

Order

paper Gazette

Notes and

Quotes

The Scoop

at City Hall
Text Box:

The Providence of a New City Hall

Dedicated to the sunshine of truth,

the moonshine of meeting deadlines,

and the starshine of Victoria.

8661 Deer Run Dr. * Victoria

952-443-2351

The Victoria GAZETTE

Victoria’s Corner Bar.  Nightly Specials and Menus.  952-443-9944

First event of the evening was raising flags in front of the new City Hall/Library, first the U.S. Flag and then the City of Victoria Flag.  Honors went to Cadette Girl Scout Troop 12813.

       Second event of the evening was the unveiling of the Dedication Plaque mounted in the foyer of the new City Hall/Library.  Todd Meyhoff of Brunton Architects did the unveiling.  The plaque reads:  "City of Victoria City Hall and Carver County Library, Dedicated to the Community, February 2015."  It lists current members of the Victoria City Council (l-r, Tom Strigel, Lani Basa, Joe Pavelko, Mayor O'Connor, Jim Crowley) and current members of Victoria City Staff plus former City Manager Don Uram.  The plaque  identifies the architect (Brunton Architects and Engineers) and the construction manager (Stahl Construction).

 

IN THIS CENTENNIAL YEAR

THE PROVIDENCE OF A NEW CITY HALL

by Sue Orsen

The Victoria Gazette

         It was Monday, February 9th, 2015, a cool evening in the bleak midwinter, calm and collected, not boasting or blustery, no high winds, only gentle conversation and applause at every turn.  Cordial greetings and congratulations surrounded the flag raising, the pledge, the girl scouts, and also the balloons, the cake, and the chocolate candy.

         Camaraderie also abounded among city councilmembers, city staff, contractors, county officials, and dozens of citizens who arrived to witness the momentous occasion.

         The whole affair lasted less than an hour, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and then it was time for the first Victoria City Council meeting to be held in the new Victoria City Hall on Stieger Lake Lane.

         It was Councilmember Tom Strigel who commented on the providence of the new Victoria City Hall being ready for occupancy in the city's Centennial Year.  When construction bids were awarded in April 2014, and when groundbreaking occurred in June 2014, people weren't thinking about the upcoming Centennial Year and certainly not talking about it.  Victoria was incorporated as a city in 1915. 

         Also noteworthy:  It took 100 years for the City of Victoria to construct a City Hall for the purpose of serving as a City Hall.

         For the last several decades, Victoria City Offices were located in back of the Old Fire Hall, then on the second level of the Old Public School, and then it was back to the Fire Hall where it consumed the entire footage along with intensive use of the adjacent  Old Village Hall. 

         Victoria began as a spot on the map in the 1850's.  Over the next decades it grew, prospered, and gave birth to a vibrant downtown that attracted customers for miles around.  Notermann's General Store was chief among the establishments along with the Creamery, Feedmill, lumber and hardware stores, the bank and the bars.

         The Victoria Gazette covered that history in detail through personal stories and memories from first and second generation descendants of the early settlers.  Then times changed.  Agriculture became less dominant.  Businesses died.  Schools closed.  Buildings deteriorated.  Downtown Victoria became an eyesore.  The Gazette covered those stories, too. 

         In the new millennium, the downtown business district began to once again prosper.  Integral to this development was municipal water, the first phase only arriving in 1989.  The new Victoria City Hall is part of the developing story.  It's providential!

 

To view a large array of photos related to the Flag Raising, Unveiling of the Dedication Plaque, Ribbon Cutting, and First City Council Meeting in the Victoria City Hall, click here: City Hall Ribbon Cutting-2015

March 2015