“This is truly a new era,” said Donny Skow, past commander of the Post, as he surveyed the construction site that’s occupying the main bar area of American Legion Post 225 right now.
He believes the long-awaited and discussed remodel marks a new chapter for the Legion to get an upgrade to its middle bar as it prepares to host its 100th Fourth of July parade this summer.
“I think the timing is fortuitous. I mean, this is our 100th year of the parade, in conjunction with this remodel. There’s just been such a transformation from very beginning to today,” said Todd Paddock, Forest Lake American Legion Post 225 3rd vice commander and co-chair of the building restoration committee alongside Travis Dye who is the 2nd vice commander.
Although the opening date is still undetermined, the Legion’s project is on track, with the construction finishing before it hosts the Forest Lake Fireman’s Ball on Saturday, April 27. Paddock and Skow are hopeful there will be time before the event to have a soft opening to give some patrons an early sneak preview of the new space that garnered input from many stakeholders.
The last time that the Legion building saw an upgrade was when it expanded eastward in 1989, and Skow recognizes the significance of being able to afford a remodel.
“There is approximately [550] Posts, I think, left in the state of Minnesota, and less than half of those have their own building anymore. We’re one of the fortunate ones that the community has helped us out and our membership is very strong,” Skow added.
Despite construction starting this winter, the remodel has been pondered for more than a decade.
“What we’re doing here now, the initial talk on that started, believe it or not, back in 2009, and then we had several things happen,” that prevented moving forward on the project Skow said.
Despite the hiccups that put this remodel on the far back burner for many years, waiting as long as they did to start the project allowed them to receive input on the remodel and the current needs of customers and employees.
For example, the bathroom in the main bar area when you enter from the parking lot on the northside of the building will be more ADA compliant for customers to access with walkers, while the employees made recommendations on how the bar can be constructed to increase efficiency.
As part of the remodel, the Legion executive team brought together a group of stakeholders to provide input on what they’d want changed in this remodel. The Forest Lake American Legion is one of the largest in the state, so including the voices who have been members of it for decades to ensure the correct ambiance of Post 225 wasn’t lost with a flashy new remodel.
“So it’s incorporating all of that, while not losing, kind of, what it was built off of. It’s kind of a balance, but as we started going down that path and incorporating those different minds and eclectic aspects, it just really was kind of seamless,” Paddock said.
Instead of the Legion’s three bar areas remaining very separate from one another, this remodel is blending the spaces together where patrons in the western-most bar can be a part of the action in the main area. There will be almost double the amount of tables in the center section of the Legion, more beers on tap and better sightlines to bands when they perform.
Even though it was still a construction zone with no bar, tables or ceilings in place on Thursday, March 14, Paddock and Skow are already envisioning customers bringing it back to life with music, conversation and laughter.
“It’ll be interesting to see the first impressions as they walk in,” Skow said.
Paddock is more interested to see reactions after the main bar has been open for a few weeks as customers take in all the changes that were made with them in mind.
“You’re not sitting behind a big pillar. You’re not having obstructed views. You have our wait staff that can navigate properly through tables. [It’s] just a better customer experience,” Paddock said.
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