Kim and Kyle Baumgartner say they plan to embrace the nostalgia of the former Coca-Cola plant as they convert the facility for their new business and build living quarters upstairs.
The Baumgartners expect to finalize an agreement with the Andalusia City Council to purchase the Coca-Cola plant later this month. The Council had the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the sale Tuesday night.
The couple plans to open a family-friendly, upscale venue, and have worked with the City of Andalusia and architects from Concordia in New Orleans on the design for a taproom pub, The B, which will serve craft beers, wine, and new-to-Andalusia food offerings. The design includes an outdoor entertainment area, space for sidewalk chalk art, ping-pong and shuffleboard. There also is an area for food trucks.
“We plan to repurpose everything that we can in the building,” Kyle Baumgartner said. “There is a lot of historical significance here, and we want to preserve that.”
Coca-Cola products were bottled in the facility from the 1950s until 1980. The original stainless steel tank in which syrup was stored is still upstairs. Baumgartner said when demolition begins, he plans to move the tank downstairs and incorporate it into the design of the tap room.
The B also will have an area with large-screen televisions for sports events, and will regularly feature live music.
Kim Baumgartner said everything about The B will be geared toward family.
“This will be a family-friendly place because we live here,” she said. The venue will be open to the public four nights per week.
Among the things she plans to incorporate is a Beer and Bible night on Wednesdays.
“This has been very successful in Dothan, and we have already talked with a couple of ministers about doing this here,” she said.
The couple also said they hope to partner with another business in the future to share the warehouse space at the facility.
The Baumgartners expect the construction phase of the project to take six to nine months.
The city is selling the building for $145,000, and will assist with demolition and architectural services. The Baumgartners will make also make a significant capital investment in the project.”
The city will hold a mortgage on the building for its development costs, which the couple will begin paying after a one-year grace period. The B will be a part of the downtown entertainment district. The sales taxes generated on the premises by the tap house and by food trucks operating there (not including education taxes) will be used to repay the city its initial investment.
“The B will complement the other businesses that have located in the downtown district,” Mayor Earl Johnson said. “Taprooms are very popular with millennials, and frankly, we think The B, like our other downtown entertainment venues, will become a regional destination. These are super popular in the bigger cities, but we are the first city of our size in Alabama to offer something like this. ”
The proposed agreement with the Baumgartners is similar to agreements with Big Mike’s, Milky Moo’s and Clark Theatres, he said.
A vote on the proposed ordinance is set for August 20.
Jamey Wismer has been named a captain and assistant chief in the Andalusia Police Department.
APD Chief Paul Hudson made the announcement Monday.
Capt. Wismer, a 25-year veteran of law enforcement, will oversee investigations for APD. He most recently worked as a district manager in the Department of Pardons and Paroles. His previous work includes time in the district attorney’s office as an investigator, the Covington County Drug Task Force, and the Troy Police Department.
“We went to the mayor and council about a month ago and asked to bring someone on in this position to run criminal investigations,” Hudson said. “Capt. Wismer won’t have a personal case load, but will oversee operations and assist investigators when they need help. We thought he would be a great fit to come in and help us get prepared for the future.”
Wismer, who also has worked as a trainer in Pardons and Paroles, will help develop courses to be offered at the department’s training facility.
Wismer said in his most recent role in Pardons and Paroles, he supervised 42 employees in seven counties, and was based in Dothan.
“When I hit my 25-year mark, I wanted to get back to my community,” he said. “The majority of my work has been here, and this was a great opportunity for me to come back to my county.”
Wismer said he particularly enjoys investigative work.
“I like figuring out the justice, for the victims, and for the community,” he said. “If the suspect’s not caught, then there’s another victim.”
He also has completed the training in hostage negotiations, and has successfully neutralized several potentially deadly situations.
Wismer graduated from Opp High School, and attended LBW Community College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Troy University while simultaneously working for the Troy Police Department.
He and his wife, Angela, are the parents of four daughters, Hannah, Emily, Maddie and Allie.
When students in Andalusia Elementary School students go back to class on Monday, they will have a new school resource officer.
Officer Tessa Crowell, who joined the APD last fall, said she wanted the opportunity to take on this new role because she believes every child needs a good role model.
Sgt. Jackie Woods, who has served as SRO at all Andalusia City Schools campuses for the past 15 years, said there is one thing of which Officer Crowell can be certain: Her day will be filled with hugs from AES students.
“They love police officers at AES,” Woods said. “I’m glad to have her here taking a part in all of the school activities.”
Officer Crowell graduated from Straughn High School and joined the APD last year. When she’s not working, she and her husband, Brandon, enjoy spending time with their families.
The Andalusia Board of Education and the Andalusia Police Department recently finalized a funding agreement to add the additional officer.
Barbara Tyler spent most of her career working to improve the lives of youth. She retired this week after 19 years with the City of Andalusia.
Tyler, whose background is in education, joined the City of Andalusia in 2000 as youth sports coordinator.
“My kids were playing sports, so I had an interest,” she said.
She is proud to have instituted a vote for players in the selection of all-star teams. While she was told allowing players to vote would mean each player would vote for him or herself, she found that players’ votes were generally the most honest, free from favoritism and based more on players’ abilities.
Tyler’s first foray into grant writing came in pursuit of the skate park located in Johnson Park. She later worked as grants coordinator for the city, and was a key player in the city’s efforts to secure funding for and build the Miracle League park and field.
When the City of Andalusia and Andalusia City Schools partnered to develop an after-school program, Tyler was named director of the A.P.P.L.E. The program provides a safe place for students after school where they receive a snack, have free time, are assisted with homework, and have opportunities to pursue extra-curricular activities.
“We never had to worry about the after-school program, because we knew Barbara would take care of all of the details,” Andy Wiggins, Director of Planning for the city, said. “She’s done a great job with the kids.”
Tyler was honored on Wednesday with a retirement reception at city hall. Mayor Earl Johnson read a proclamation in her honor, and expressed his appreciation for her dedication to the city.
Tyler’s degree is in education, and she taught sixth grade, kindergarten and third grade early in her career.
She and her husband, Mike, are the parents of three adult children.
The Andalusia Fire Department took delivery of its 2019 KME Custom pumper truck Wednesday.
The new truck replaces a 30-year-old truck purchased in 1989, and allows the department to deliver its required fire flow with two trucks instead of three, Fire Chief Russell McGlamory said. The new truck can pump 2,000 gallons per minute.
The pumper has many safety features, including back-up and overhead cameras, and alerts to ensure that firefighters are buckled up when the truck is in motion. It also has USB ports for iPads used by the department.
The pumper represents a $488,471 long-term investment in equipment by the City of Andalusia.