Probably there's no one living in Mandan that doesn't have an idea for using the John Iverson building.

The three-story red brick structure sits on Mandan's Main Street and looks north up the Collins Avenue hill. It anchors the city's downtown, not in the sense of a business magnet, but as a building so solid, so indestructable, that it will weather economic and environment calamity with little more than a shrug.

The John Iverson building began life as a warehouse. It has thick, concrete floors. High ceilings. Big windows. Pillars. Pulled together, they give the building great character. What it isn't is modern commercial real estate. The many things that give the building character also offer obstacles to creating low-cost office or retail space. In a word, it's rustic.

The Mandan Mercantile Steering Committee wants to investigate the building's "commercial vitality." There will be a public meeting to consider possible uses for the John Iverson building at 2 p.m. Saturday. The meeting will be in the building, and organizers suggest attendees bring their own folding chairs.

An invitation to the meeting suggests proposed uses: a year-round Pride of Dakota outlet, community/cooperative hardware store, natural food cooperative, cooperative bakery, location for hunting, fishing, hiking canoe and kayak outfitters and guides, farmer's market and local foods outlet, greenhouse and restaurant on the roof and art gallery and/or co-op studios.

Mandan has had good luck with some of its older buildings: the depot, beanery and freighthouse. They all have viable and largely self sustained uses, including Five Nations Art, Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation, Rice Bowl, Mandan Morton Public Library, Mandan Progress Organization, Mandan Art Assocation and Mandan Historical Society. The same would have to be true of the John Iverson building in whatever new life it takes on. What goes into the building needs to be able to pay its way. There needs to be some hard-nosed number crunching to make sure that these dreams don't carry too much risk.

Converted old warehouses and other historic buildings have done well in urban areas. But they take hard work, deep pockets and a lot of smarts. There needs to be the right mix of retail and service offerings. There needs be sustained marketing and promotion. It needs to capture the interest of the community and then fulfill people's expectations.

Organizers appear to be putting the right feet forward - having open, public conversations about the building and its possible uses and keeping the options open.

Good luck.