Well as you can tell by the dates, it has been awhile since our last update. It gets harder and harder as days pass by since there is truly so much to cover. This won't be in the detail the majority of our posts cover but I'll try and cover the main things we' done in this time frame.
Over the last 4 weeks we've done a lot of work on the front facade of the building. We knew we were going to rip down the orange brick with the cream aluminum window headers, and we had a good idea for the rebuild...but we didn't expect to find what we did. Anyone following us on Facebook or Twitter or even Instagram know by now that we found some original cast iron decorative support columns. We knew cast iron was supporting the structure but by the interior look, we assumed they would be rounded, almost like the columns you typically see in a basement. We couldn't have been more wrong. As we continued to tear out the brick, revealing the entire columns, we knew we needed to rethink our entire front look and integrate these columns into the design.
To utilize these columns, we needed to remove the paint...which we did over a matter of a week by grinding with a wire brush (thank you to Nathan Reese for lending the wire brushes and giving the idea of this particular process). In addition to the cast iron, each divided window area was completely framed in with original 2"x6" fluted oak...and in good shape considering the protection each layer of paint had given. To keep those and make sure they too are integrated into the design, we have spent the last 5-6 days removing paint by the use of heat guns and a putty knife. This process, while useful, is even more long and tedious than the grinding of the columns.
To get to the frame, we first began tearing out a couple of the windows and newer frame work around each opening. Right now the building to basically open save for a couple of nailed down tarps. We are now working to finish the paint removal in order to fully rebuild a first section, showing the community what the entire front will look like in due time.
We also had our second event on 10/26 at the Twin City Elks. The local optimist club put on an Oktoberfest event that provided both food and beer. We went through a good amount of beer at this event and we're looking forward to the event growing for next year.
We've also received a final loan commitment from Midwest Regional Bank. We are working to finalize our financial picture as we go through the SBA process...which takes time. While that goes through, we are meeting with local investors to get to the magic number needed before the loan closes.
A ton more has gone on in the last three weeks including a ton of insurance applications to start gathering quotes on all the needed insurances we'll have, continuing work on the brewer's application, finishing out the Dreamfund campaign, and getting the almost final structural drawings from our engineer.
As I've mentioned before, I'll try and keep up with the blog rather than let 3+ weeks pass between updates.
Click on the pictures below to see more photos.
