By the Closer Look Inspectors team · Facts checked October 2026 against the sources listed below · About our inspectors
A commercial property inspection helps a Lonsdale buyer or owner learn whether a building has aged like the Main Street or like the business park. Many downtown commercial buildings date from 1912 to the 1930s, and the Lonsdale Business Park, completed in 2014, is what the city calls the newest and largest business park in the Lonsdale area.
Get Your Free Instant QuoteCall or text (612) 457-1634
Commercial buildings in and around Lonsdale
Downtown buildings from 1912 to the 1930s
Lonsdale's growth followed the railway depot. The railway company bought 80 acres in 1901, a depot was built, a village was platted in 1902, and voters approved incorporation in 1903, 24 votes to none. Early businesses included a saloon, hotel, livery, grain elevators, blacksmith shop and harness shop. Beyond the village, in Webster Township, the Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church is on the National Register of Historic Places; its main body was built in 1899 on a fieldstone foundation, replacing the original Trondhjem Church of 1878.
According to Rice County records cited in the city's 2016 comprehensive plan update, many of the commercial buildings in the central business district were constructed between 1912 and the 1930s. Several downtown buildings were also built in the 1940s and 1950s, and the plan says existing downtown buildings are one to two stories high.
Historically, Main Street was a mixed-use district, with commercial space on the first floor and in many cases residential or office use above. The plan says that, in some cases, the general decline of the area has led to deterioration of the second-floor housing, and a joint meeting of the Economic Development Authority and the Chamber of Commerce listed disrepair and the age of buildings among the downtown's challenges.
For a buyer, that points to the upper floors and roofs of small buildings from that era. Those are spaces that are easy to leave idle and hard to see from the street, where a small roof leak or an old heating or wiring system can go unnoticed for years.
Highway 19 commercial and light industry
Along Highway 19, the plan says the city experienced new commercial development in 2005 to 2007. Industrial land is concentrated on the east and south sides of town, and the existing industrial use is primarily low-intensity office warehousing, contractor yards, packaging and low-intensity manufacturing.
One industrial park, five lots on twenty acres, was built on the former wastewater treatment ponds next to an existing industrial area. Land that was once a pond can hold fill and softer soils, which is why floors, slabs and foundations on sites like that deserve a close look.
The Lonsdale Business Park
The city completed the Lonsdale Business Park in 2014 on the east side of town, next to State Highway 19. The city calls it the newest and largest business park in the area, designed for developments from as small as half an acre to as large as 13 acres.
A local newspaper report said the city had signed a purchase agreement for its final spot in the park, where a manufacturer planned a 150,000-square-foot facility, with the city administrator suggesting it could reach 300,000 square feet at full build out.
In a business park completed in 2014, roof membranes, rooftop units and other equipment are still young but can begin to show their first wear. On a building this young, a thermal camera is a way to see early roof moisture or a warm electrical connection while the problem is still small.
Commercial buildings we inspect
Quick answers
How old are the commercial buildings on Lonsdale's Main Street?
The village was platted in 1902 and voters approved incorporation in 1903. The city's comprehensive plan cites Rice County records putting many downtown commercial buildings between 1912 and the 1930s, with more from the 1940s and 1950s.
What kinds of buildings are in the Lonsdale Business Park?
The city describes it as the newest and largest business park in the area, completed in 2014 next to State Highway 19 and designed for developments from half an acre to 13 acres. A local news report described a manufacturer planning a 150,000-square-foot facility on the last lot.
What should a buyer know about second-floor space on Lonsdale's Main Street?
The comprehensive plan says Main Street was historically mixed use, with residential or office space above shops, and that in some cases decline has led to deterioration of the second-floor housing. Upper floors are where leaks and idle systems can go unnoticed.
Sources
- City of Lonsdale: 2040 Comprehensive Plan (2016 update)
- National Park Service (NPGallery): National Register Registration Form, Trondhjem Norwegian Lutheran Church
- City of Lonsdale: Lonsdale Business Park
- Southern Minn Media: Exhaust factory could bring over 100 jobs to Lonsdale Business Park
Nearby towns
Commercial property inspection in Minnesota and Iowa · Home inspection in Lonsdale
Buying, leasing or financing a commercial building in Lonsdale? Build a free instant quote, or call or text (612) 457-1634.
Get Your Free Instant Quote