U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo announced that $750,000 is to be made available for planning the protections of the 27 acres of abandoned Bureau of Mines property that sits on the Coldwater site.

Preliminary plans call for demolishing the Bureau of Mines buildings and return the entire area to open green space.

"I am pleased to reach an agreement with the Department of Interior to protect the Camp Coldwater Spring and restore the Bureau of Mines property to open green space." Sabo said.

This is a departure from the many months of planning by the US Fish and Wildlife (also part of the Department of the Interior, and who owns the property) to rehab the Bureau of Mines buildings for a new headquarters.

Sabo hopes to eventually turn the property over to a "local entity", though details have not been worked out yet.

In the past, Fort Snelling State Park has repeatedly stated they could manage the area if the buildings were removed, and the land given to them.

More news will be posted as it becomes available.