202–212 Central Avenue North · Faribault, Minnesota

Where recovery
builds a stronger downtown.

Three historic buildings on Central Avenue, being rebuilt into one interconnected community.

The Central Block, 202-212 Central Avenue North, Faribault

Rendering and design by Jennifer Denmark

Where This Started

Two needs, one solution

Women leaving treatment need a home. Downtown needs life.

Problem One

Women finish treatment with too few places to go.

Rice County has far fewer sober housing beds for women than it needs. Women do the hardest work of their lives in treatment, walk out the door, and too often land right back in the circumstances that brought them there. Without stable housing, relapse becomes far more likely.

Problem Two

A historic downtown is losing its anchors.

Central Avenue has some of the finest 1880s commercial architecture in southern Minnesota — and storefronts that sit empty. Every vacant building takes foot traffic with it, and the businesses still holding on feel it. A downtown without daily life stops being a downtown.

The Idea

Sober homes for women upstairs.
Local shops and gathering places below.
Three historic buildings, restored for generations to come.

The Anchor

Restore Recovery

Sober housing for women, built into the center of town instead of tucked away, with work and community just downstairs. A new model for recovery in southern Minnesota.

A home, not a program.

Twenty sober housing beds on the second floor of the Union Block, with shared kitchens, living rooms, and the daily structure recovery needs. The third floor offers the next step: eight two-bedroom apartments for women and their children.

Recovery means taking your life back. Here, women live as neighbors, not patients, and jobs right downstairs give them more than a paycheck: a schedule to keep, skills to build, and a future of their own choosing.

More about the program →

Communal living room in Restore Recovery sober housing

Rendering and design by Jennifer Denmark

20

sober housing beds, 2nd floor of the Union Block

8

two-bedroom apartments for reuniting families

3

buildings connected at the first floor

1

community — rebuilding together

Why This Location

Everything she needs, within a few blocks

The gap between treatment and stability is where most women fall. It is often not about willpower. It is about a missed appointment because there was no ride. A meal skipped because the store was too far. A job lost because getting there was too hard. Downtown Faribault removes most of those obstacles by geography alone.

Daily Essentials

Fareway Foods · 0.5 mi
Walgreens · 0.6 mi
Grace & Glory Thrift · 0.1 mi
Banking · 0.1 mi

Community & Culture

Public Library · 0.2 mi
United Way Bookstore · 0.1 mi
Community Center · 0.2 mi
Congregational Church · 0.3 mi

Support Services

Rice County Service Center · 0.3 mi
City Hall · 0.1 mi
Social Services · 0.3 mi

Health & Education

Allina Health · 0.5 mi
Mayo Clinic Health System · 0.4 mi
Faribault Public Schools

The Block

Eleven businesses, chosen on purpose

A biscuit and fried chicken counter with a communal table. A cat rescue paired with a café next door. A drop-in 3D printing studio. A gaming hall with a dungeon-themed tournament room. An ice cream shop. Therapy offices. Not a random collection of retail — every tenant was selected because their presence makes recovery more possible. Every one of them gives people a reason to come downtown, and brings back the foot traffic Central Avenue has been missing.

Meet all eleven →

And For Everyone Else

A safe, fun place for young people downtown

Teens and young adults in rural areas abuse substances at higher rates than their urban counterparts. The reason cited most often: nowhere to go and nothing to do.

A gaming hall. A cat rescue you can volunteer at. A makers studio where you can design something and print it the same afternoon. This block actively draws young people toward something — friendships, skill building, job opportunities, and a positive faith-rooted environment that models what a life built on purpose actually looks like.

The Investment

What this project delivers for Faribault

35

housing units: 20 sober housing beds for women, 8 family apartments, 5 one-bedrooms, 2 furnished apartments

11

businesses activating Central Avenue’s most prominent historic block

3

historic 1880s downtown buildings, restored to historic standards

$7M+

total private investment in the heart of downtown Faribault

Partner With Us

This project was built on the belief that a community willing to invest in its neighbors will find itself transformed in return. We are actively seeking financial partners, faith-based organizations, skilled tradespeople, product manufacturers, and corporate sponsors. We can’t get this done alone.

There is a place for you in this story.

See how to help

Our Story

How one phone call on a Faribault sidewalk turned into the restoration of three historic buildings.

Jennifer Denmark and Tim Ellison sitting together outdoors, smiling — Jennifer Denmark & Tim Ellison

How It Started

In 2015, I was walking through downtown Faribault after visiting a friend who owned a building on Central Avenue. As I passed 206 Central, I noticed a sign in the window: “This building is not empty. It’s full of opportunity. Contact the City of Faribault.”

I pulled out my phone and called right there on the sidewalk.

Kim Clausen, the HRA Director at the time, answered. Within minutes, she was there to give me a tour.

The building was in rough shape. Years of neglect, a fire, and water damage had taken their toll.

A lot of people would have walked away. I saw a building worth saving, and the perfect project for a couple of first-timers like us.

I went straight home and told my husband, Tim, all about it. He was just as excited as I was.

From there, we sat down with the HRA, the EDA, and the City of Faribault and worked out a plan. We put in our own savings, the community added its support, and together we set out to bring 206 back to life.

“This building is not empty. It’s full of opportunity.”

Where We Are Today

Today, three connected 1880s buildings on Central Avenue are coming back to life.

Upstairs, there will be apartments for families and individuals, along with sober housing for women through Restore Recovery. At street level, there will be room for 11 local businesses, from storefronts on Central Avenue to smaller office suites.

I design the project myself. Every floor plan, drawing, and rendering you see on this site is my own work, from the first sketch to the finished image.

For Tim and me, this has never been just about old buildings. It’s about the people, and the lifelong relationships we’ve built along the way.

A healthy downtown is where we gather, shop, and get to know each other. We want Faribault’s downtown to be full of that kind of life again.

See what we’re building →

Talk to Us Directly

We’re Jennifer and Tim, and we read every message ourselves. Whether you’re thinking about investing, leasing a space, partnering, or just curious, we’d love to hear from you. We’re always happy to give a tour, and we’ll get back to you within two business days.

Email us Request a tour

hello@centralblockfaribault.com

Three historic buildings.
One interconnected community.

202–212 Central Avenue North sits at the heart of downtown Faribault. The three buildings connect at the first floor, creating a single walkable community where housing, commerce, care, and recreation all live under one roof.

Then & Now

Some places need a second chance too.

New businesses, new programs, new energy, new relationships. Drag the slider to see Central Avenue today, and the same three buildings fully restored.

Rendering of the three buildings fully restored, with awnings and new storefronts

Photo of the three buildings on Central Avenue as they look today

TodayRestored

Restored view: rendering and design by Jennifer Denmark

Building by Building

Take the tour

Tap a building to see what’s coming, floor by floor. Tap any picture to see it full size.

202–204 Central Avenue

Lieb Block

The corner building, where small businesses get their start and five apartments look out over the garden.

Upper floor: Five one-bedroom apartments
Street level: Seven micro business suites, including two storefronts right on Central Avenue
Corner storefront: Planned for the Biscuits & Chicken concept, with outdoor ventilation and a pickup window on the corner
Rear suites: Rice County Mutual Insurance, a current tenant

Ask about a suite →

Concept rendering of a biscuit and fried chicken restaurant with exposed brick, a tin ceiling, and long communal tables — Biscuits & Chicken concept, planned for the corner storefront · Rendering and design by Jennifer Denmark

Lieb Block street-level floor plan showing micro business suites and two storefronts — Street-level floor plan · Floor plan and design by Jennifer Denmark

Lieb Block second-floor plan showing five one-bedroom apartments beside the garden — Upper-floor plan: five one-bedroom apartments · Floor plan and design by Jennifer Denmark

Preservation

Restoring three 1880s landmarks

We’re pursuing federal and Minnesota State Historic Tax Credits to restore original facades, storefronts, and interior details that a standard renovation could never afford. 206 Central is already restored, and the applications for the Lieb Block and the Union Block are in progress.

Get Involved

Lease a space, lend your skills, or partner with us. These buildings are ready for their next hundred years.

Help write the next chapter of Central Avenue.

Ask about leasing Partner with us

Restore Recovery

Sober housing for women, built into the heart of downtown instead of tucked away in a neighborhood. It’s a new model for southern Minnesota: a developer and a recovery nonprofit working side by side to save historic buildings, bring life back to Main Street, and put care, work, and community right downstairs.

Hear Her Story