Vadnais Heights is a city of just over 13,600 people. It is part of the Minneapolis metropolitan area lying about 15 miles northeast of downtown.  The city’s website describes the suburban community as “a vibrant community with strong neighborhoods, thriving businesses, beautiful woods, lakes, wetlands, and trails”, In a 2016 Community Survey, 97% of its residents rated its quality of life as either “good” or “excellent”.

Like many American communities, Vadnais Heights has a number of parcels of vacant land. In 2015, the City purchased a three-acre parcel of land that had once been home to a gas station and a hardware store. Once the site was cleaned-up the City had plans to build an apartment complex on it. Some residents in close proximity to the proposed apartment complex balked at the idea , feeling that an apartment complex not an appropriate addition to what was primarily a single-family neighborhood. They voiced their concerns with City leaders, who listened. The result was the creation of a 14-member task force, who were charged with identifying alternative uses for the site. The task force, which included both residents and business leaders, was led by an outside facilitator.

Before a decision was reached the task force did due diligence. They met a total of six times, three of which included listening to experts on a variety of relevant topics including environmental issues,
different financial scenarios, and market conditions. With 14 members, there was no shortage of ideas as to how the parcel of land might be best used. These included park/open space, offices, retail, and a brewery. Yes – a brewery! The suggestion of a brewery came from task force member Ashley Wilke, a neighborhood resident who had purchased her grandparent’s home nearby. Faced with a number of alternatives, the task force conducted a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis for each potential land use. To build consensus and arrive at a decision, three rounds of voting were held, with less popular options being eliminated after each round. At the end of the voting process, the task force had identified a brewery as the preferred option. As noted in the task force’s final report, a brewery represented “a unique opportunity for the city and would build community and social interaction.” The vision of the task force was a destination brewery that would also be a community gathering spot – a so-called Third Place. A brewery would also result in the adaptive reuse of the abandoned hardware store. Once the brewery was identified as the preferred use, letters were sent to over 500 existing brewers and distillers to make them aware of the opportunity.

As it turned out the site was ideal for Big Wood Brewery who had outgrown their original location in nearby White Bear Lake. Big Wood’s owner Jason Medvec shared the task force’s vision for the new brewery. According to Medvec, “my goal is to create a community-centered venue where there is always something exciting happening and where everyone feels welcome”. Medvec anticipates that Big Wood will move to its new location in Vandais Heights in 2022, with the lot costing them $225,000.

For a number of reasons, I found the story of Vandais Heights and the desire on the part of its residents to have a brewery occupy a vacant building on a vacant piece of land to be a fascinating one. First, kudos must be given to the City for listening to its residents and creating a platform and process (the task force) through which a decision reflective of resident desires could be arrived at. As stated by Valdais Heights’ Mayor, Heidi Gunderson, “we heard loud and clear they didn’t want a high density development in that corner . . . I viewed the property as taxpayer-owned, and they should have a say in how the land was developed.” Second, kudos to Ashley Wilke, the resident who suggested a brewery as a possible occupant of the vacant lot. The brewery will be more than just a watering hole for local residents. Both the residents and the brewery owner envision the new brewery to be a community gathering spot or a so-called Third Place. All across the United States, craft breweries have strategically positioned themselves as community assets; as places that are a vital part of a community’s social fabric and which serve as a place for residents to gather. It looks as if Big Wood will continue that trend. Not only will Big Wood occupy a vacant parcel of land, but it will also occupy an abandoned hardware store. Adaptive reuse of abandoned buildings is a common practice within the craft brewing industry and is a practice that breathes new life into vacant buildings.

So well done to the City and the people of Vandais Heights. The people spoke and the City listened. As a result, residents and visitors alike will soon have a cool new place to hang-out, relax, and enjoy a pint of locally-crafted beer.