|
October 1303 Minnesota R•state Journal •
<br /> Page 5
<br /> Fairbciult couple continues to k new� e challenges
<br /> BREMERS TACKLE
<br /> STILLWATER PROJECT if,, //We had two main
<br /> by Tarsha Glander r z
<br /> objectives with this project.
<br /> The first was to bring back
<br /> A fter nearly 25 years in the con- ' ,t �, g
<br /> struction business, Donna and ,�■.,�
<br /> Steve Bremer are not showing any signs "�'"' ""- the history of the buildings.
<br /> of slowing down. � � ���
<br /> The Faribault couple's most recent k
<br /> undertaking is the restoration of six his =� ,:_r,;_,,,,,,, , 1 xw The second was to brin
<br /> toric buildings in downtown Stillwater. _-_ ,r:,- y x It k s l' g
<br /> The $8 million project entails convert- g " new residential areas to
<br /> ing former brewery buildings into a
<br /> mixed-use facility combining retail,res-
<br /> idential and possibly office space. K y Stit water's downtown."
<br /> Their company, Bremer Construction - t �
<br /> Inc.,.resulte fro the failure of anoth ��� ' '� ,
<br /> ' � 4 � s -Donna Bremer
<br /> er. In 1989, a construction company that ,-„ ,, ” x y Bremer Construction Inc.
<br /> had employed Steve as a project man- COURTESY OF BREMER CONSTRUCTION
<br /> went out of business. Rather than Donna and Steve Bremer are in the midst of an$8 million project to convert six for-
<br /> take
<br /> take his chances with another employ mer brewery buildings in downtown Stillwater into a mix of retail,residential and
<br /> er, Steve decided to launch his own possibly office space.
<br /> company.
<br /> Then came the Wabasha Caves. In
<br /> 1991, Bremer Construction was search- - �,g ` '
<br /> ing for a place to store its heavy , try' ,s. #
<br /> machinery. Around the same time, the r -- s i
<br /> city of St. Paul was planning to con- 'ate' ' � �
<br /> demn the sandstone caves along the rs � r
<br /> riverfront. ��
<br /> f
<br /> LL
<br /> "This is a prime location. , .. ;�
<br /> You can literally walk out ;. 4114 ; . 4 t ' " . -
<br /> the front door and you're .�
<br /> } # . ,i F ! ` COURTESY OF BREMER ER CONSTRUCTION
<br /> ' � ` A photo of the brews r' buildin buildings from the late 1800s.brigesht t l oinf
<br /> to offer." T m • k ers are empty-nesters were chiseled out and used as storage.
<br /> „4' � ' who are looking to The adjoining building to the right of
<br /> -Steve Bremer � - .,i !�14 . . downsize and decrease the brewhouse was never actually used
<br /> ;. maintenance hassles. for anything more than a courtyard until
<br /> Bremer Construction Inc. 1t7 .;, 1 i The future of two the 1940s when it was converted into a
<br /> freestanding buildings, car dealership. The building on the cor-
<br /> - which can be adapted ner of Main and Nelson Streets served
<br /> for either residential or as a hotel at the time. The barn to the
<br /> The Bremers made an offer, and commercial use, has back of the property served as a stable
<br /> although it was significantly lower than yet to be determined. for the brewery horses. Sometime dur-
<br /> the asking price, it was still enough to One of those buildings ing the 1940s, the barn was purchased
<br /> COURTESY OF BREMER CONSTRUCTION has an adjacent by p
<br /> land the pair a 20,000 square foot cave jacent cave. In b Sherman Gordon and served as part
<br /> system. In the end, however, the Bre The limestone caves,which provide 50 degree to 55 degree addition, the property of his scrape yard for about,60 years.
<br /> mers decided that the old gangster hang tempertures year-round,were originally used as storage. has another 6,000 In 1950, a man named Tom Curtis
<br /> out was better suited for tourism and square feet of lime- bought the brewery and the caves. He
<br /> special events than storage. So they planned for the spaces above the restau stone caves, which flooded the caves and began conducting
<br /> began offering cave tours and opened a rant and gift shop. Each of these living were originally chiseled out and used by cave tours by boat. In 1960, Vittorio's
<br /> Thursday night swing-dancing club. In spaces, ranging from 1,408 square feet the brewery for storage. After purchas- restaurant opened in the street level
<br /> 2000, they opened Grumpy Steve's cof- to 2,235 square feet, offers views of the ing the property, the Bremers have been space it occupies today and came into
<br /> fee shop near the caves. St. Croix River and access to Stillwa- offering tours of those caves. new ownership in 1993 when it was
<br /> Just when it looked like the pair ter's downtown. bought out. The restaurant changed its
<br /> might settle into their on-going projects, "This is a prime location,"says Steve. A look back name to Buona Sera this fall.
<br /> they decided to undertake the downtown "You can literally walk out the front The brewery itself came into life Finally,the Bremers bought the entire
<br /> Stillwater restoration project. The Bre- door and you're right in the middle of sometime in the 1860s. There are a total property in 2001.They bought back the
<br /> mers began looking at the site along , the best of what Stillwater has to offer." of six buildings in all, four of which are barn from Sherman Gordon in 2002, so
<br /> South Main Street during the summer of The units will feature 9- to 13 foot connected and two are freestanding. as to keep the original property com-
<br /> 2000. They purchased it soon thereafter. ceilings, gas fireplaces, hardwood One of the freestanding buildings at the pletely in tact. Since then, the couple
<br /> "I really took an interest in the histo- floors, walk-in closets, built-in appli rear of the property served as the first has been working hard to create some
<br /> ry of the buildings and after doing a bit ances and two-car garages, and in some brewhouse on the site, known as the thing new within the historic buildings.
<br /> of research, I really knew it was some- roof-top decks. In addition, the living Martin Wolf brewery.This building also The Bremers believe that the restora-
<br /> thing I had to get into," says Donna. spaces will be custom-finished to meet happens to be one of Stillwater's oldest. tion of these buildings is vital to the
<br /> The retail space has already been corn- the needs and preferences of individual A few years after starting his own Stillwater community.
<br /> pleted and leased.The 1,200 square foot buyers. None of the work has been done business, Martin decided to join forces "We had two main objectives with
<br /> lower level of the main building was on the condominiums yet. Prices begin with his brother, Joseph, to open up the this project. The first was to bring back
<br /> converted into the second Grumpy at $570,000. Joseph Wolf Brewery in one of the the history of the buildings. The second
<br /> Steve's coffee shop. An existing restau- The Bremers report that there has adjoining buildings. The building was to bring more residential areas to
<br /> rant, formerly known as Vittorio's has been quite a bit of interest in the pro Grumpy Steve's occupies now was used Stillwater's downtown," Donna says.
<br /> expanded and been renamed Bueona ject. as an office facility for that brewery. "We are hoping to help stabilize the
<br /> Sera. Elations, a gift shop, has leased "We've had several walk throughs The adjacent building was the Joseph businesses there by having more resi-
<br /> the third space. within the past months," says Donna. Wolf brewing site. The limestone caves, dents close to all the shops and restau-
<br /> Six luxury condominiums are She adds that most of the potential buy-
<br /> 50 which provide a steady temperature of rants." J
<br /> to 55 degrees throughout the year,
<br />
|