Redevelopment plans for historic Hamm's Brewery site gets pushback from Saint Paul Brewing
The historic Hamm's Brewery stands on the east side of St. Paul, Minnesota, and much of the complex has sat empty for over two decades.
Now, the St. Paul City Council says they've taken an important step toward redeveloping the property. In early November, the council voted unanimously to designate the space as a heritage preservation site.
"This landmark is more than a collection of old buildings, it's a cornerstone of our city's identity," said Council member Cheniqua Johnson. "It's a symbol of resilience and a bridge between our industrial past and our creative future."
The city say this designation could lead to state and federal tax credits that would help cut the cost of redevelopment.
"Renovating and restoring historic buildings like these which have been vacant and in decline since 1997 is much more expensive than building new construction and tax credits are a tool intended to bridge this gap," explained Ashley Bisner, vice president of development at JB Vang, during a previous city council meeting.
The Housing and Redevelopment Authority selected JB Vang as the tentative developer in 2023, after acquiring the southern part of the brewery in 2004.
The City of St. Paul says the redevelopment plan would take vacant land and unused buildings and turn it into 196 units of affordable housing and commercial space. 86 of those units would be inside the historic brewery and new construction would house 110 units.
However, not everyone in the complex is on board.
"Over the objections and concerns of all private property owners at the Hamm's site, the City of Saint Paul pushed forward a roundabout historic designation process. This was just the latest in a series of efforts by the city to prop up a single developer at the expense of existing, successful, locally-owned businesses," a spokesperson for Saint Paul Brewing wrote in an email to WCCO.
For several years, Saint Paul Brewing has served beer and food to customers from a building within the Hamm's complex. The company is accusing the city of focusing on constructing a new building, rather than staying true to their original aim of developing historic structures.
Saint Paul Brewing has also taken issue with the location of the new construction, which would land on a city owned, shared parking lot that currently accommodates their customers. The company was part of a lawsuit filed over the summer against the city, which accuses St. Paul of unlawful zoning, retaliation and "destruction of the parking lot." The lawsuit asks for, among other things, an easement over the surface lot for parking purposes and $50,000 in damages.
"JB Vang has shown great faith by listening to the community and has made accommodations that include more parking and a willingness to work with existing businesses and neighbors," said Bisner during a city council meeting.
The tentative developer is still asking for feedback on the project and says construction could start in 2027.