Hamm’s Brewery in St. Paul to get $140M revival

By BRIAN JOHNSON

BridgeTower Media Newswires

Nearly three decades after the Hamm’s Brewery in St. Paul produced its last bottle of beer, the historic complex is a mere shadow of its former vibrant self.

The seven-building complex, the oldest part of which dates to the 1880s, sits eerily quiet, reeking of decay and disrepair. The only signs of life come from the occasional pigeon, living rent-free and flying around within the cavernous space.

Crumbling concrete, peeling paint, broken glass, graffiti and the omnipresent, pungent odor of neglect pervade the dark, musty spaces within the complex at 680 and 694 Minnehaha Ave. E.

But that’s about to change in a big way as momentum builds for a $140 million adaptive reuse project, which includes a mix of new construction and historic renovation.

St. Paul-based developer JB Vang plans to break ground in 2027 on the project, which will reinvent the historic brewery, converting it to 86 affordable, artist-style lofts, along with a 30,000-square-foot “multicultural marketplace” for up to 30 vendors. Planned site improvements include green space and a plaza for performances, and a link to Bruce Vento Regional Trail and Swede Hollow Park.

Also included in the project is a 110-unit, five-level affordable apartment building, which will rise on an adjacent parking lot. The East End Apartments, ranging from one to three bedrooms, will be affordable for households at 30%, 50% and 60% of area median income.

The new construction portion, which will include two levels of underground parking, is expected to cost about $48 million.

“Obviously new construction is a little easier to build versus historic,” Ashley Bisner, JB Vang’s vice president of development, said prior to a tour of the shuttered brewery Tuesday.

Planned funding sources include tax-exempt bonds, 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits, Historic Tax Credits, and “other potential funding agencies” such as the Metropolitan Council and Ramsey County, according to a project narrative.

The Historic Tax Credits are an option now that the old brewery has achieved historic designation. On Nov. 5, the St. Paul City Council designated the complex as a heritage preservation site.

The designation “allows the opportunity for historic tax credits. And that provides additional financing opportunities for the project to be able to move forward,” said Melanie McMahon, interim director of the Department of Planning and Economic Development for the city of St. Paul.

What’s more, the Historic Tax Credits will be “very helpful for us” to retain as much of the historic integrity of the building as possible, “both from what we’d love to keep … but also from State Historic Preservation Office and National Park Service requirements,” Bisner said.

Like other adaptive reuses of historic buildings, the JB Vang development team — working with Pope Design Group — plans to create a modern new use without straying too far from the historic flavor of the complex.

Balancing the two can be tricky. For example, what will become of the giant holes where the beer vats use to be? They may have historical value, but it’s also impractical to leave all of them in place.

Bisner said the development team has had discussions with the preservation folks about filling in some of the holes, while keeping others open — perhaps to offer views of the marketplace.