The location of the historic St. Anne's/St. Michael's hospital building near a potential landslide area prevented building either a levee or a floodwall between the river and the historic building. Demolishing the building to make room for the levee appeared to be the only option. But no one involved with the project wanted to lose the building, especially since it had recently been rehabilitated into a home for Grand Forks' senior citizens.

‘That was a trying time for us,” said Mark Walker, Grand Forks' assistant city engineer. “Numerous people worked hard to save the building when it was an empty abandoned shell. It was converted to senior housing prior to the flood. Now that it had been rehabbed, it was a much tougher decision to tear it down. There was a problem associated with every alternative that would save it. It seemed like the wrecking ball was the only option.”

The city asked the Corps to take one last look at how the building could be saved. At the last minute, Stanley Consultants developed a solution that saved the building, provided the residents with a new amenity, and cost less to construct than any other alternative previously presented.

The approach called for a floodwall that looks like a porch. The floodwall will protect the building and provide level access to the residents who want to sit outside and watch the river. This solution also resolved a firefighting safety issue, since it allows access to the balcony through a window, allows firefighters use of the balcony during a fire, and won't trap firefighters in the event of a building collapse.

The Grand Forks Historical Commission reviewed and approved the concept's details. “It was an excellent solution that saved a historically significant building,” said Walker.