View Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Duluth Communications Office
Mayor Roger J. Reinert
411 West First Street • Duluth, Minnesota 55802 • www.duluthmn.gov
411 West First Street • Duluth, Minnesota 55802 • www.duluthmn.gov
For more information, please call 218-730-5309
DATE: 1/30/2014
SUBJECT: Canal Park Brewing Company Recognized by Economic Development Association of Minnesota for Redevelopment Project
BY: Pakou Ly, Public Information Coordinator
SUBJECT: Canal Park Brewing Company Recognized by Economic Development Association of Minnesota for Redevelopment Project
BY: Pakou Ly, Public Information Coordinator
Canal Park Brewing Company Recognized by Economic Development Association of Minnesota for Redevelopment Project
[Duluth, MN] – Tracy (Kavajecz) Uttley graciously accepted the Redevelopment Award on behalf of Canal Park Brewing Company at the Economic Development Association of Minnesota (EDAM) Winter Conference. The brewery and restaurant was recognized among statewide projects for their creative reuse of a contaminated site revitalizing what had been a vacant eyesore among new developments in the Canal Park Business District for years.
Tracy Uttley said, “The Kavajecz Family is so proud to be recognized for all the hard work we did to create the Canal Park Brewing Company. As any business owner knows, there is a great deal of risk and a new crop of gray hairs involved in opening a business. It feels really nice to have all those efforts recognized by the Economic Development Association of Minnesota. We continue to be amazed by the support we have received from our community and beyond.”
Canal Park Brewing Company now sits on what was once housing back in the early 1900’s, a steel spring manufacturing company, and the last undeveloped site in popular Canal Park. Due to the century old environmental legacy issues on site, significant clean up and demolition needed to take place before any new projects could emerge. A partnership between 300 Canal Park LLC (owners of Canal Park Brewing) and the City of Duluth formed to pursue and obtain a $416,997 Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development clean up grant to help make the site shovel ready. The final project cost $6 million, all of which was privately funded.
“Canal Park Brewing Company is a great example of innovative and committed entrepreneurs who understand the importance of creating a sustainable legacy combined with a great business model that reinvests in the local economy,” said Mayor Don Ness.
Canal Park LLC opened the doors to “Canal Park Brewing Company”, a craft brewpub, in 2012 and has since seen immense success due to a great business model but also because of its sustainability practices. Canal Park Brewing Company is a community oriented brewpub with an emphasis on hand crafted beer brewed from the highest quality malt and hops available from the most local sources possible. The brewery purchases fresh hops from local organic farmers and uses the cleanest fresh water source for their beer, Lake Superior.
The company keeps it “local” by travelling only 40 miles to harvest its fresh hops thereby reducing gas emissions and their overall carbon footprint. The spent mash is not discarded but rather fed to cows whose manure is then used as fertilizer for hops farms. Cattle farmers provide beef for the restaurant. The company is not only eco-conscious but is purposeful in maintaining a strong local economy by using local suppliers.
(Photo courtesy of EDAM, from left to right: Heidi Timm-Bijold, Business Resources Manager City of Duluth; Ross Lovely, Business Developer with City of Duluth; Tracy and Scott Uttley, Canal Park Brewing Company; Tim Korby, EDAM Board President and employed with TKDA)
About EDAM:
The Economic Development Association of Minnesota was formed as the Minnesota Industrial Development Association in 1967 to provide development professionals like you a forum for exchanging information and staying abreast of current economic development strategies and practices.
EDAM is a statewide association of professionals specializing in the field of economic development.
