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Finance & Commerce > Print > Why the froth over Surly? Brewery project draws broad i... Page 1 of 2 INFORMATION Finance & Commerce /finance-commerce.com Why the froth over Surly? Brewery project draws broad interest by Chris Newmarker Published: September 30th, 2011 Economic development officials insist they are not wearing beer goggles as they try to woo the $20 million, 60,000-square-foot brewery and beer garden that the Surly Brewing Co. would like to build in the Twin Cities. "Dozens" of metro area cities have already submitted information to the Minneapolis- based Tegra Group, which Brooklyn Center-based Surly tapped in August to advise on the project, said Tom Hauschild, a partner at Tegra. Surly and Tegra officials hope to focus on a handful of sites within 30 days. 1 : ' . ~ , I _~. ~t '}~1y~.. . ~-~j may. ..{ A rendering of Surly's proposed $20 million, 60,000- square-foot brewery and beer garden. (Submitted rendering: Surly Brewing Co. In general, city officials insist the proposed brewery goes beyond the dozens of jobs or added tax base it might create. They say it would add cachet and enhance the quality of life in their communities. "It's very much a destination location. ... It would bring so many people to Elk River," said Annie Deckert, Elk Run's economic development director, who is researching locations there to pitch to Surly and Tegra. Hauschild says he and Surly president and founder Omar Ansari have been surprised by the interest. Hauschild attributes it to Surly's enthusiastic customers, the so-called Surly Nation, who successfully lobbied to change state law to allow breweries to sell pints on site. Now they are reaching out to local officials to tout the proposed brewery. "City administrators are listening to them and responding," Hauschild said. Surly has a profitable business selling beers ranging from its hops-heavy Furious beer to the lighter CynicAle. Revenue has grown from $250,000 in 2006, its first full year of operations, to $4.7 million in 2010. Demand has outstripped production, and Surly has stopped selling its products in Wisconsin, South Dakota and Illinois to concentrate on its Twin Cities turf. The new brewery would be Surly's second; its existing 24,000-square-foot facility is at 4811 Dusharme Drive in Brooklyn Center. Surly's plans have inspired Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak to wax on about how his great- grandfather brewed beer in New Prague, with the mayor arguing that Surly needs to build along the Mississippi River north of downtown. Minneapolis has yet to make a former proposal to Surly. But Cathy Polasky, the city's economic development director, acknowledges that it would be an attractive business for the city because it would provide some well-paying manufacturing jobs as well as another "cool gathering place." Polasky also mentioned the city has done a great deal to encourage local food and beer. "This fits right into the sweet spot for Minneapolis' economic development," she said. St. Paul officials have already toured a handful of sites with Surly and Tegra officials, said city spokeswoman ]anelle Tummel. Specifically, the St. Paul Port Authority has pitched its Beacon Bluff and River Bend projects, which are both redeveloping old industrial sites in the city. Surly http://finance-commerce.com/wp-content/plugins/dmc_sociable toolbar/wp-print.php?p=... 09/30/2011