The popular Twin Cities beer company Surly has been working toward a brewery in Minneapolis for quite some time now. According to the Star Tribune, the brewers have chosen a 7.4 acre site of a former potato plant in Prospect Park as the desired location for the $20 million brewery. In order to get it cleared by the city, Surly had to jump through a few hoops, and overcame possibly its greatest challenge last week.
On January 10, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development awarded the city of Minneapolis with $1 million in cleanup funds for the site on the corner of Malcolm Ave and 5th Street SE. Earlier, the Metropolitan Council also approved a $545,300 grant to Surly for environmental cleanup at the "Malcolm Midway" site. The craft brewers are also requestiong $450,000 from Hennepin County, and county staff are reccommending approval.