| There has been a lot of speculation about the fate | | | | shops, offices, additional housing, and eventually the |
| of the old Schmidt Brewery. Once a bustling | | | | addition of restaurants and a hotel. The project will |
| brewery, employing over 400 workers, it has been | | | | include pedestrian-friendly amenities catering to local |
| sitting vacant since 2004. Council Member Dave | | | | basic needs such as grocers, cleaners, and theaters. |
| Thune describes it as a "symbol of the Seventh | | | | This $25 million project is designed to preserve this |
| Street community. We want to bring life and liveliness | | | | community icon and revitalize the area. The area |
| back into the neighborhood". When he heard of the | | | | currently has a thriving arts community, but |
| development proposal from Jeff and Craig Cohen, | | | | affordable housing for artists is hard to come by. This |
| who finalized their purchase of the | | | | project will fill a definite need. The Seventh Street |
| 100,000-square-foot, 15-acre complex in January, | | | | neighborhood of St. Paul is described as an area with |
| Dave considered this a welcomed opportunity. This | | | | a lot of potential, and The Brewery Lofts may set |
| project would be similar to the Carleton Artist Lofts | | | | the pace for future developments as well. The |
| on University Avenue in St. Paul. | | | | Cohen's also plan on incorporating green space and an |
| Their plan is to create an urban village, named Brew | | | | environmentally-friendly design into the project. Many |
| Town. Preserving the historic design, they would | | | | challenges exist with the restoration of this unique |
| refurbish the castle-like structure, transforming it | | | | structure including the preservation of its caves, |
| into150 live-work spaces for artists, a series of retail | | | | artesian wells and many historical artifacts. |
