When neighbors balked at a proposal to build apartments on city-owned land, Vadnais Heights leaders decided to let residents devise a plan for the property.
Members of a citizen task force said they wanted a destination brewery or distillery and community gathering space on the 3-acre site near the shores of Lake Vadnais. More than a year later, the Ramsey County suburb's experiment with a new, populist form of community development appears to be working.
Big Wood Brewery signed a purchase agreement with the city this fall with plans to move its taproom and production operations from downtown White Bear Lake to the new site.
"We are going to be taking it and transforming it into something cool," said Big Wood Brewery owner Jason Medvec, describing his vision for an expanded taproom, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces and a live music venue. "It's about a half mile off the freeway but you feel like you are getting away."
The brewery will pay $225,000 for the property and is expected to close on the sale by the end of the year, according to city staff. They intend to renovate the shuttered Garceau's Hardware building on the site, and Medvec said they are still exploring their options for the older Vadnais Market building.
City leaders say they anticipate a significant investment in the property, and Mayor Heidi Gunderson said she is pleased the city is able to honor residents' requests.
"We heard loud and clear they didn't want a high density development in that corner. It would have been a tight squeeze anyway," Gunderson said. "I viewed the property as taxpayer-owned, and they should have a say in how the land was developed."
She said she's impressed with the early visions for the brewery.