Brewery buys its next door neighbor
FIRST, BLACK ROCKS. No firm plans announced yet, but Marquette’s best known brewery has confirmed they’re expanding.
They closed on a deal a couple of weeks ago to buy the building next door to them on Third Street.
“We’ve needed more space, we’ve been limited in the types of live music we can bring in, and we’ve been limited in our points of service, so this (the building acquisition) makes sense to us,” says co-owner David Manson. “We want to create a better experience for our customers.”
Beyond that, he won’t elaborate on their plans. Still being worked on. A timetable hasn’t been established. Blackrocks will wait until the leases of the building’s current tenants–North Shore Naturopathic and Acupuncture, and Tapio–run out before the renovation work begins.
Quick question: The two buildings (Blackrocks and the addition) look very different architecturally (the new acquisition has a boxy brick addition in front), so how will they make that work? “We have creative minds,” Manson says, “and we think we can meld the buildings together.”
It’s difficult to doubt them. Over the last decade, they’ve created an enormously popular and successful brewery.
Buildings bought, but plans not announced
MEANTIME, THE TWO buildings next door to Blackrocks’s latest acquisition have also been sold.
Inkwell, one of the current tenants, will be moving out and relocating to the Masonic Center on West Washington Street.
We’ve attempted to contact the buyer, who’s local, but no response yet.
There’s speculation about what could be moving in, but until we hear it directly from the owner, we’ll leave it at that. Change is coming.
Opening pushed back
THEN THERE’S “BE WELL,” the multi-disciplinary wellness center at Third and Ohio.
No surprise, as with most new businesses, there’s been a delay or two. Grand opening is now scheduled for May 1st.
“It’s just been a lot of work and we’re getting it done,” says co-owner Kate Lewandowski.
When it opens, they’ll be offering massage, Thai massage, meditation, yoga, aerial arts, colonics, herbalism, and a lot more.
As we say, multi-disciplinary.
And next door to Be Well will be Be Well Elixirs–drinks to make you healthy. That’ll open sometime after Be Well, itself.
Huge price cut
NOW, FOR INVESTORS looking to save a buck or two, how about this?
The former Valle’s Market property on Third Street has just been reduced in price–from $799,900 to $649,900.
A huge discount.
11,00o square feet of space at the street level, a partial basement. Coolers and shelves included. Spacious parking lot. Prime commercial area.
So why hasn’t it sold? Good question.
Many of the neighbors would love for it to be reborn as a grocery store–maybe just a “cooler” version of Valle’s. A humble suggestion: how about a multi-ethnic market featuring Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Mideastern, Italian, Cuban, etc foods–stuff you might not be able to get at other stores in town. Maybe with a little snack bar where you can pick up some of those foods ready to eat.
Crazy idea, but still….
Or how about this? An artists’ and artisans’ workshop? A place where they can actually do their work, 30 or 40 of them, and sell their stuff. A collaborative environment. And a tourist attraction.
Yeah, yeah, we know, another crazy idea. But still….