PRESS RELEASE
Sturgeon Bay - In response to the City of Sturgeon Bay’s RFP (Request for Proposals), a proposal has been submitted for development on the West Waterfront that envisions a public and private partnership to repurpose the Teweles and Brandeis Granary making it once more an economic and iconic center of Sturgeon Bay. Under the proposal, the repurposed Granary would be a magnet for vibrant community activity (entrepreneurial and recreational) and create a new “Granary District” or “Granary Neighborhood” in Sturgeon Bay’s west side.
In exploring possible uses for the Granary, the project supporters recognized the need for information from professional and respected architects, developers, artists and builders. Is it feasible to repurpose a 1901 structure built for a specific use? “To answer this question, we began with the belief that sound input from professionals in the field would inform dialogue and might inspire ideas beyond those presented so far. With the help of investors, the project team hired The Kubala Washatko Architects (TKWA), an award-winning firm of Cedarburg, to provide the renderings and Middleton Consulting and Contracting (MCC) to provide cost estimates” said Laurel Hauser, Project Principal.
The other project principal, Dan Collins, offered that “Built elements can positively affect the fabric of a community for generations to come. This proposal tries to offer a contemplative mode of building that respects Sturgeon Bay’s unique history, the laws of the State regarding public trust benefit, and the desires of the Sturgeon Bay community.”
The proposal offers a two-stepped vision, the first step activates the Granary by stabilizing the building, removing all the walls on the ground floor leaving a small “forest” of posts creating public space for picnics, weddings or gathering all with views to the water and the tug boats. The second step activates the upper portions of the Granary making three floors with small “wood walled” office space made from the grain bins which would be available to incubate artists, non-profits or technology ventures. The top floor and Granary head house may offer meeting space with a view.
“Think of an iconic destination in a city or town, it had a strong theme or icon to anchor and identify the neighborhood. Someday you will say, “meet me at the Granary” and it will be this neighborhood between the bridges” said Collins.
A copy of the proposal can be found on the www.centerlineforum.org/ideas website. The principals have indicated that collaborators are welcome.
Media contact:
Laurel Duffin Hauser
lduffinhauser@gmail.com
Project Principal
Image: The Kubala Washatko Architects for Hauser/Collins