OH, THE POSSIBILITIES. Lazy Monk Brewing is in talks to purchase the former Charlson building and put a brewery, taproom, and outdoor area in the 16,000-square-foot space.

When the Charlsons announced that they were selling their property on the corner of West Madison Street and Oxford Avenue in downtown Eau Claire, Theresa Frank’s ears perked up.

“It’s an amazing spot,” she said.

Frank and her husband, Leos, own Lazy Monk Brewing, whose 5,000 square-foot space near Banbury Place was starting to feel a little cramped as the brewery became more and more popular. Frank said they had been looking for potential expansion spots and lo and behold, the golden opportunity fell before them.

“(The city) came to us about three weeks ago and said, ‘Are you seriously interested in that building?’ ” she said. “And we were.”

“From an economic development standpoint, we know that breweries and distilleries are a big part of economic development and especially revitalizations of downtowns. ... I think (Lazy Monk) would be and excellent fit for that spot and if we can make this happen, it’s a big plus.” – City of Eau Claire Economic Development Director Mike Schatz

The building, which the city currently owns, was originally slated to be razed and turned into a green space, extending the Chippewa River State Trail through it as part of the city’s planned West Bank redevelopment effort. But the city’s Economic Development Director Mike Schatz said having Lazy Monk in play for the spot is indicative of the city weighing their options.

“We are definitely in the exploration phase of seeing what (Lazy Monk) would like to do,” Schatz said. “The good news is that they will be given an opportunity to look at it. We want to give them a chance to examine all of those issues and see if it does work, (but) we’re very early on in the process.”

Lazy Monk already has big plans for the 16,000-square-foot property that include a taproom (that would eventually house a commercial kitchen) overlooking the Chippewa River on the upper level, the expanded brewery on the lower level, and an outdoor beer space – which could come in handy around Oktoberfest season.

“We were absolutely wild and amazed at what happened at this Oktoberfest, and having an outdoor beer space for this Oktoberfest is gonna be huge,” she said. “Eau Claire has finally jumped on board that the downtown is cool and it’s where people want to be.”

For all their big dreaming, though, the papers aren’t quite signed yet, but Frank said if everything falls into place the right way, Lazy Monk would be prepared to purchase the building by the end of February. As this issue went to press, Lazy Monk, its architect, and the office of Economic Development were in talks to really stamp down what the plans would look like and trying to facilitate both the brewery and the bike trail.

Co-owner Leos Frank, serving up taps at Lazy Monk's original taproom.

Schatz said that Lazy Monk would be an exciting addition to that spot.

“From an economic development standpoint, we know that breweries and distilleries are a big part of economic development and especially revitalization of downtowns, so if we can make it happen that’s good for our community,” Schatz said. “I think (Lazy Monk) would be an excellent fit for that spot and if we can make this happen, it’s a big plus.”

While the brewery and the city continue talks this week, start putting numbers together, establish a vision, etc., Frank is just excited about an opportunity to grow, especially downtown.

“The downtown is a vital part of this community and it’s gonna continue to grow. And we need more places on the river. That’s the reality,” she said. “Green space is wonderful … but people want the ability to have restaurants, they want to be able to sit and enjoy the river while they’re maybe eating or drinking or having a wine or a beer. Hopefully, we’ll be providing more of that.”