Foundation going in

For several months, the grill portion of the name City Hall Bar & Grill has been incomplete. That is now in the process of changing.
 “We are hoping to be completed before spring,” said Eric Buysse, president of the investors' group for City Hall Bar & Grill.
 Buysse dug the footings on Sept. 25 for the new restaurant, which will be located in the empty lot east of the current bar that was purchased from Bubba DePestel (Bubba's Bar) on Jan. 1.
 Jim Vlaminck and Glen VanHecke hauled the dirt away. The footings were then poured by MacArthur Concrete of Canby later that week.
 “We tied the geothermal lines on Tuesday (Oct. 3) and buried them the next day,” explained Buysse. “The walls were set Wednesday (Oct. 4). They used a concrete pumper truck to pour the concrete.” The concrete has been poured over the entire future restaurant area.
 “There is some more concrete that needs to be poured due to the over-dig needed to set walls,” Buysse noted.
 The next step will now be to back-fill after the concrete is cured, Buysse said. Then work will begin on the floor, walls and roof.
 The entire project is being funded through investor groups, which are still needed.
 “We are close,” Buysse said about the investment funding. “But we could use more.”
 Currently, options are limited in terms of sit-down restaurants in the Minneota business district.
 Farmers Coop Association (FCA) on Highway 68 offers some pre-made food such as pizza and breakfast sandwiches that can be consumed at a seating area.
Dalager’s Grocery and Gas offers a similar dining experience.
And the Countryside Golf Club east of town seasonally offers various types of food.
 But there has been a need for a business-type of restaurant business for several years. And that need is now evolving into a reality.

Tax abatement
The Minneota City Council Monday set a public hearing to allow a tax abatement to the City Hall Bar and Grill.
Officials of the business asked the council at the September meeting wave the taxes in order to get the grill addition to the Minneota business built and established.
The public hearing will be held November 13 at city hall.
The council will abide a portion of the city share of property taxes for a number of years to be specified.
“The abatement will be provided to the City Hall Bar & Grill as owners of the property in an effort to assist with the renewal of the property,” the council indicated.