By Mondell Keck | The Brookings Register
BROOKINGS — The old Whiskey Creek Wood Fire Grill location in Brookings is about to gain new life as Mac’s Eastside Grill.
Brookings resident Al Kurtenbach, who owns the site at 631 32nd Ave., is spearheading the effort. The information surfaced at the City Council meeting on Feb. 10, where councilors approved a 10-year on-sale liquor operating agreement with Kurtenbach’s Murdo Properties LLC on a 7-0 vote.
“I think all of you are familiar with the fact that I’ve been a proponent for east Brookings since 1972, and we’re making progress there now,” he told councilors. “I just didn’t want that to slow up. The previous owner of that restaurant was retiring and selling — and so I thought somebody should step up, maybe somebody local, and try to keep building on the east side.”
Kurtenbach’s plans extend beyond Mac’s Eastside Grill as well.
“We’re doing a little remodeling, and I’ll probably come back before you here in another month or two — I have an idea for a plaza concept up there where the hotel is and where those two empty lots are,” he said. “If I can get those either owners to pull together, maybe we can have a very small shopping area. Something so as citizens are leaving Aldi, they may have a reason to stop someplace else.”
The news of the coming changes drew praise from Mayor Oepke “Ope” Niemeyer.
“It’s good that we got another restaurant coming back up,” he said. “I appreciate that, Al. Thank you very much.”
E-waste program, merger update
In other developments from their Feb. 10 meeting, councilors:
• On a 7-0 vote, gave the go-ahead to establishing an electronic waste drop-off service at the Brookings Regional Landfill, while also prohibiting the disposal of said e-waste and lithium batteries at the landfill. Instead, such items would be recycled via the new drop-off service, which is expected to launch sometime in April alongside the city’s annual Spring Bulky Item Pickup event.
Promotion of the new service is expected to begin soon, and a one-week free amnesty drop-off period will occur during the bulky item pickup event.
The new program will extend the life of the landfill, and a tipping fee of $1.25 per pound of e-waste is expected to cover its costs.
• Councilor Nick Wendell provided an update on merger efforts — 18 months or so in the making — involving the Brookings Economic Development Corp., Downtown Brookings, Visit Brookings and the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce.
He said that, as of Jan. 1, the entities are functioning as one organization known as the Brookings Regional Growth Alliance. That name, however, may change since the branding process is still taking place. Furthermore, the names of Visit Brookings and Downtown Brookings might persist as well as part of the umbrella organization, whatever its final name winds up being.
Wendell — who represents the city as part of an 11-member board that oversees the merged organization — added that it’s currently based out of the Sixth Street building that once housed the chamber of commerce, but that’s just for the time being.
Lastly, Wendell said a search process is underway for a new president and CEO for the organization. He noted that three candidates for the position were in town on Feb. 4-6 to meet with stakeholder groups.
“We’re moving through the process of narrowing that group down to the successful candidate that we hope will be our next president and CEO,” Wendell said.
• On a 7-0 vote, directed city staffers to proceed with the issuance of a new request for proposals for construction manager at risk services related to the new Brookings Police Department headquarters project, and conduct a public bid process for the new Brookings Fire Department station in downtown Brookings.
— Contact Mondell Keck at [email protected].
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