New tenants coming to Lamplighter
A new winery will open in the former Lamplighter Bar and Grill building after it was unanimously approved by the city council.
The former Lamplighter building experienced a major fire in September 2022, and suffered smoke damage.
New Ulm City planner John Knisley addressed the council, expressing how the new winery will operate the wine fermentation in the building.
The wine will be brought into the space partially fermented, from a different facility, finished then bottled on site.
“There are no outdoor impacts associated with the wine making process,” New Ulm City Planner John Knisley said. “There was a concern about how they were going to transfer from the street or the vessel it is being carried in. They will actually be using a transfer pump from a truck and transfer the liquid into the building.”
Knisley told the council that this was a very common practice, and that the process wouldn’t take any longer than an average semi-truck stopped in the downtown area loading other businesses with their products.
“We will be manufacturing wine on the site, the applicant intends to have a full bar, serve the wine along with other beverages. Sell the wine retail and operate a restaurant,” Knisley said.
There are currently no plans to refurbish the second story of the Lamplighter.
The permit requires the owners to maintain the federal and state licenses to operate the winery, there will be no exterior storage of the wine making process, there will be no external manufacturing, and provide safety measures for pedestrians on the sidewalk.
It has been proposed that the exterior of the building will receive a new canopy, but not changing any other external features on the former Lamplighter building.
The future business has two lessees, one for the restaurant and the other to oversee the wine making operation. The restaurant doesn’t need a conditional use permit. A conditional use permit restricts the time, place and manner in which convenience stores, liquor stores and fast food outlets operate.
The new operators hope to open the new business next year, but a specific date has not been set.