We’re introducing our Best Real Estate Projects for 2021-2022. This is the top historic restaurant rehab.
From wine to beer, the old warehouse that’s now home to Dust Bowl Brewing Co.’s newest taphouse has served many purposes during its century-plus lifespan.
The structure, which dates back to the late 1800s, was originally used for wine storage; later, it met various agricultural needs. Eventually, the building was vacated and sat empty for years before Sacramento-based D&S Development purchased it and designed its transformation.
Now, with an airy, modernized interior and a lively outdoor patio outfitted with fire pits and cornhole games, the eye-catching brick building has brought a spark of innovation to the historic Old Town Elk Grove district.
Sara Lebastchi, vice president of operations for D&S Development, said the firm recognized its potential from the start.
“The site had been sitting empty and this was a chance to do something that would bring people down to the area and add new life,” Lebastchi said.
It wasn’t an easy endeavor. When D&S Development initially toured the site, they found significant disrepair, including holes in its metal roof. That was just the first of many challenges. In addition to rezoning, the site would also require massive retrofitting to meet building code requirements, as well upgrading its infrastructure to connect utilities, including water, sewer and electricity.
To shepherd the project, D&S Developments embarked on a process that included partnering with architecture firm HRGA and eventually purchasing the building from the city of Elk Grove, which in turn paid for many of its improvements and upgrades.
They also worked closely with the Elk Grove Preservation Society to make sure that the redesign hewed closely to the original’s spirit with details such as ensuring that the wood used for door and window frames was historically accurate.
“When you’re reinventing a building, its previous use doesn’t necessarily work for the new use,” Lebastchi said. “But everybody really worked well together — the Preservation Society understands, and they want to see the building reused and with new life.”
The development company also consulted with its new brewery tenant, who wanted to integrate building’s indoor and outdoor spaces. To meet the request, Lebastchi said the plan included more doors, both for functionality and to add an enhanced sense of light and air to what had once been a dark and confined structure.
Brett Tate, Dust Bowl Brewing’s founder and owner, said he was drawn to the building for its “authentic vintage vibe.”
“It was a natural fit to our aesthetic,” Tate said in an email. “The bones of the old warehouse are super cool and (provide) both a large interior footprint as well as options to provide an exceptional outdoor experience.”
The project, which initially launched in December 2018, was completed in the fall of 2021 when the brewery launched with a soft opening. The total cost, according to Lebastchi, was $3.8 million, which included the purchase of the building as well as its structural retrofit and conversion to a restaurant space.
The endeavor was part of a huge community effort, Lebastchi said. The result, she added, is vital because it’s “impossible” to replicate the character of an historic building with new construction.
“Something of this scale and size takes a lot of investment from private and public agencies,” Lebastchi said. “So, it’s important that it’s a project that helps with the neighborhood and gives it space and identity.”
FAST FACTS
Details: Renovation of circa 1800s building
Cost: $3.8 million
Completed: Fall 2021
Developer: D&S Development
Contractor: DASCO Commercial Construction
Architecture: HRGA
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