Maple Island Brewing Co.
225 Main St., Stillwater
Type: Microbrewery, taproom
Capacity: 714 kegs annually
Parking: 27 spaces
Developer: Frank Fabio
Architect: HAF Group
Details: The owner of a 129-year-old building on Stillwater's Main Street is seeking to turn its first floor into the Maple Island Brewery and Taproom, which aims to have a capacity of up to 714 kegs of craft beer per year.
Frank Fabio's proposal passed its first test when the Stillwater Planning Commission approved his request for a special use permit and a parking variance at its Jan. 13 meeting.
The plans call for a seven-barrel brewing system in the area of the building closest to Main Street with the taproom in the rear of the space closest to the St. Croix River, offering patrons views of the scenic waterway.
The taproom would include seating for 92 people inside with an additional 40 seats available in a seasonal outdoor patio situated near the terminus of the new Brown's Creek State Trail, which when it opens later this year will bring bicyclists into downtown Stillwater along what was once the Minnesota Zephyr dinner train route.
Also part of the plans is the addition of a second-story office area.
The building was for many years the site of the Maple Island Creamery and in the late 1990s was converted into a hardware store on the first floor. It has been vacant for several years, Stillwater Community Development Director Bill Turnblad said.
A business plan submitted by Fabio indicated that his first beer offerings will include Coffee Oatmeal Stout, Killer Kolsh and Maple Island IPA.
Don Jacobson is a freelance writer in St. Paul. He can be reached at hotproperty.startribune@gmail.com.
