WEDC will give Two Rivers $250K to repurpose old bank building into craft brewery

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A state agency will give $250,000 to Two Rivers to turn a former bank building into a craft brewery.

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. will give a Community Development Investment grant to the city to turn the former Wells Fargo at 1718 West Park St. into Cool City Brewing Co., WEDC officials said.

“Cool City Brewing Company will act as a gathering spot for both community members and visitors,” WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes said in a statement. “This is the type of development that can spark more growth in Two Rivers’ downtown.”

The space will serve as a full-service brewery, restaurant, bar and coffee shop with seating for 140 indoors and 80 outside, officials said. The bar will have 20 craft beers on tap, ciders and seltzers.

The additional restaurant is a needed dining option and benefits the local economy, Two Rivers’ city planner Elizabeth Runge said. “People travel here to visit from all over, and this will help them stay to eat,” she said.

Cool City will have six 10-barrel systems to produce 435,000 pints of beer each year, state officials said. It will also use a Smart Brewing System to reduce waste, speed up production and raise brewing efficiency, the first of its kind in Wisconsin.

Two couples and community investors, Curt and Jean Andrews and Barry and Gina Krahn, acquired the former Wells Fargo when it was put up for auction in January 2021, officials said. They wanted to buy the building in April 2020 but were delayed by the pandemic.

“It’s been a huge undertaking, but the building itself, specifically the location, was what really enticed us,” Curt Andrews said. “Two Rivers has a heritage of beer manufacturing, and we’re bringing that entrepreneurial spirit back. We’re really excited about what it’s going to do for the community.”