Roof of downtown Mankato building caves in; nearby streets closed

A block of Main Street in downtown Mankato remained closed Thursday as crews worked to shore up a three-story building whose roof collapsed earlier in the week.

The southern Minnesota city said Main Street between Riverfront Drive and Second Street may remain closed through next week as crews work at the Landmark Center building. Other streets that had been closed in the area have now reopened.

Tuesday’s roof collapse came as an unusual February rain — adding up to more than an inch in some locations — fell across the region, on top of a still-deep snowpack.

The Mankato Free Press reported that’s suspected as the cause of the collapse. The building's owner told the paper that about 15 to 20 percent of the roof caved in, and bowed out a wall on one side of the building.

There were no reports of injuries. The building was vacant and already slated for renovation into apartments and commercial space.

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