The Brew Station will receive up to $5,000 to create patio space.
MADISON, WI. APRIL 14, 2023 – Downtown Three Lakes business The Brew Station is the winner of Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s (WEDC’s) annual Main Street Place-Makeover Contest. The business will receive design assistance and up to $5,000 to create an outdoor patio space to grow their business.
The Brew Station beat out four other finalists and dozens of entrants from other downtowns to receive the prize. Applicant businesses were evaluated based on the potential of submitted projects to help the business grow and thrive, the visual impact a transformation of the space would have on the downtown, and the ability of the project to be completed within the time and budget available.
Opened last year, the business is the second in downtown for owners Dan and Gina Stehl. Located next door to their first business, The Supply Station, The Brew Station is billed as a place where friends, adventurers and vacationers can share a drink. The business is focused on creating a family friendly atmosphere that provides a much-needed gathering place in downtown.
Unlike many Northwoods businesses, The Supply Station is open year-round, and the business model was designed to intentionally complement other downtown businesses. The Brew Station accepts and even promotes carry-in food from downtown restaurants and hosts numerous community gatherings in their indoor space.
With their location in the heart of an outdoor-oriented community, the owners constantly heard from guests that outdoor gathering space was needed. Turning a rear parking area into an outdoor beer garden will allow customers year-round to enjoy themselves outdoors.
The new rear patio will create space for children to play, accommodate groups and events that aren’t a good fit in the indoor space and allow guests with four-legged friends to visit.
Three Lakes joined WEDC’s Connect Communities program in 2021. The community is striving to rebound from a 2019 fire, which destroyed a signature downtown hotel and restaurant and the loss of two additional restaurants during the pandemic.
The Brew Station will work closely with WEDC staff and placemaking and landscape design consultants from Ayres Associates on a patio plan that meets the needs of their customers and creates a welcoming atmosphere for visitors. The transformed space will be formally unveiled during a public celebration later this summer.
In its second year, the Place-Makeover Contest is an initiative of the Wisconsin Main Street Program, a comprehensive revitalization program overseen by WEDC and designed to promote the historic and economic redevelopment of traditional business districts in Wisconsin. The 2022 Place-Makeover focused on public rather than private spaces, and helped Lake Mills re-imagine an alleyway into the Legendary Lane pedestrian walkway.
For more information on the Wisconsin Main Street Program, visit wedc.org/MainStreet.
