The building that once housed the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department & City Hall & most recently was the Ladder House bar & restaurant, could open its doors once again in 2014. Local businessmen Ken Glasheen & Steve Sauter are working on a process that could lead to to their acquisition of the building on south 3rd Avenue designed in 1910 by renowned architect Paul Crandell. The building was a firehouse until 2006 when it was extensively renovated & converted into a 300 seat restaurant. However, the Ladder House fell on hard times & closed a couple of years ago. As part of their effort to revitalize the building, Glasheen & Sauter plan to work with Paul Salm who managed the bar & restaurant in its previous incarnation. The two businessmen also hope to secure a $200,000 low interest loan from Sturgeon Bay’s revolving loan fund. As stated in the agenda for Tuesday’s city council meeting, the new restaurant would provide reasonably priced, consistently high-quality food & good service. Guests would return to the relaxed atmosphere of a historic firehouse/old town hall themed pub without a loud bar element. If financing issues are attended to, the building could be open for business sometime in the first quarter of 2014.
