Mimosa is a rotting building that sits at the beginning of Main Street in downtown Pullman. Paint peels from the awnings with cracked cinder block facade. When walking by you can notice a light fixture dangling from the wiring from the inside. This college town has now just finished the $11.7 million Project Downtown Pullman which included the replacement of water and stormwater lines, sewer, as well as new sidewalks, curbs, and landscape. But the Mimosa building still stands there decaying, as it’s been for two decades.

Pullman residents say the building stands out even more now because of the finished construction. They question, Why don’t the owners tear it down? Why is the city not doing anything about it? Why not destroy it and build something new that will benefit the community? Residents are frustrated by the “eyesore” that stands out in the community. This story begins with a devastating flood in 1996 when the South Fork of the Palouse River covered much of downtown with several feet of water. Reports say that 20 businesses closed down because of the amount of destruction the flood resulted in. Mud lines, washed-out bridges, and contaminated buildings were just the beginning. The building is still structurally solid, therefore the city can’t force the owners to do anything about it. They have free will to fix it, sell it, or let it continue to rot. City officials constantly hear complaints about the building, even two decades later. Swanger would love to sell off Mimosa, for $2 million. The city says that the price is not worth the market value. The county said the properties were at about $330,000 which include Mimosa at $60,000 and the parking lot.