Jason Jon Anderson, executive director of the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire shows off the main performance hall in the $60 million performing arts center that opened last fall. The facility is one of the centerpieces of downtown redevelopment and the city's expanding arts scene.
EAU CLAIRE -- There was uncertainty, anger and sadness when Nathan Berg's parents both lost their jobs at the massive tire plant along the Eau Claire River.
Banbury Place is a 1.9 million-square-foot former tire manufacturing facility that closed in 1992. Located along the Eau Claire River, it is home to a diverse collection of 155 businesses and over 500 employees. The pedestrian bridge in the foreground is one of 21 bridges in the city, nine of which are reserved for pedestrian and bike traffic.
Color-tinged windows at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire help highlight the transformation of the city's downtown that 10 years ago was plagued with abandoned buildings and blight. Located at where the Eau Claire River empties into the Chippewa River, the immediate area also includes JAMF, a major software company, the corporate headquarters for Royal Credit Union and housing.
Gail Schellinger is surrounded by her art work in her second floor studio at Banbury Place in Eau Claire. Schellinger, 68, grew up in Eau Claire and has had her studio based in the former tire factory since 2012.
“It’s great because it’s not just a pile of bricks that are being hauled off," Schellinger said of the former Uniroyal-Goodrich plant that closed in 1992. "It’s useful. People start their businesses here and a lot of times they move on. But a lot of us just like to hang around."
The work of an artist sharing a studio at Banbury Place in Eau Claire, Wis. shares floor and wall spaces inside the former tire factory Wednesday, May 1, 2019. JOHN HART, STATE JOURNAL
James Crosby started his sticker company about five years ago in his home but for the last four years his business has been housed in a 600-square-foot space at Banbury Place, the former Uniroyal-Goodrich tire plant that closed in 1992. Crosby's The Sticker Spot specializes in putting decorative and advertising stickers on flat surfaces like cars, motorcycles, windows and skateboards.
Jack Kaiser, along with his father, purchased the former Uniroyal-Goodrich tire plant in Eau Claire in 1992 and have transformed the building into Banbury Place, a hub of manufacturing, small businesses and artisan studios.
A museum that opened in May in Banbury Place tells the history of the 1.9 million square-foot building that from 1917 to 1992 was home to a tire production factory that employed thousands of people and was a signature industry for Eau Claire. The building was purchased by a local developer in 1992 and is now home to 500 employees and 155 businesses that includes art studios, rubber manufacturing, electronics sales, music instructors, storage and a day care center.
The work of artist Barb and Andy Shafer fills a studio at Banbury Place, the former Uniroyal-Goodrich tire plant in Eau Claire. The Shafers have been in the community since 1968 and began renting studio space at Banbury in 2000. Several other artists also call Banbury home.
The Bennett Guitar Company at Artisan Forge Collective in Eau Claire creates custom guitars and does repairs. The shop is one of 51 businesses in the 33,000-square-foot artisan building.
Forage is an event space and commercial kitchen and one of the 155 businesses in Banbury Place, a 1.9 million-square-foot former tire factory in Eau Claire. Forage is owned by Kristen Dexter, pictured, and Michelle Thiede.
Located in what was once a swimming pool, Dive is a second floor bar in the Lismore Hotel in Eau Claire. The property, a former Ramada Inn, underwent a $16 million renovation after the Ramada closed in 2013 and is now a major destination in the city's downtown.
Eau Claire is friendly to those who walk or ride a bike. The city has nine pedestrian bridges like this one that spans the Chippewa River on the city's west side.
Zach Halmstad, right, founder of Jamf Software in Eau Claire, has been behind several redevelopment projects in the city's downtown. He is seen here in 2017.
Jason Jon Anderson, executive director of the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire shows off the main performance hall in the $60 million performing arts center that opened last fall. The facility is one of the centerpieces of downtown redevelopment and the city's expanding arts scene.
A museum that opened in May in Banbury Place tells the history of the 1.9 million square-foot building that from 1917 to 1992 was home to a tire production factory that employed thousands of people and was a signature industry for Eau Claire. The building was purchased by a local developer in 1992 and is now home to 500 employees and 155 businesses that includes art studios, rubber manufacturing, electronics sales, music instructors, storage and a day care center.
Color-tinged windows at the Pablo Center at the Confluence in Eau Claire help highlight the transformation of the city's downtown that 10 years ago was plagued with abandoned buildings and blight. Located at where the Eau Claire River empties into the Chippewa River, the immediate area also includes JAMF, a major software company, the corporate headquarters for Royal Credit Union and housing.
The work of artist Barb and Andy Shafer fills a studio at Banbury Place, the former Uniroyal-Goodrich tire plant in Eau Claire. The Shafers have been in the community since 1968 and began renting studio space at Banbury in 2000. Several other artists also call Banbury home.
James Crosby started his sticker company about five years ago in his home but for the last four years his business has been housed in a 600-square-foot space at Banbury Place, the former Uniroyal-Goodrich tire plant that closed in 1992. Crosby's The Sticker Spot specializes in putting decorative and advertising stickers on flat surfaces like cars, motorcycles, windows and skateboards.
Banbury Place is a 1.9 million-square-foot former tire manufacturing facility that closed in 1992. Located along the Eau Claire River, it is home to a diverse collection of 155 businesses and over 500 employees. The pedestrian bridge in the foreground is one of 21 bridges in the city, nine of which are reserved for pedestrian and bike traffic.
Zach Halmstad, right, founder of Jamf Software in Eau Claire, has been behind several redevelopment projects in the city's downtown. He is seen here in 2017.
Located in what was once a swimming pool, Dive is a second floor bar in the Lismore Hotel in Eau Claire. The property, a former Ramada Inn, underwent a $16 million renovation after the Ramada closed in 2013 and is now a major destination in the city's downtown.
The Bennett Guitar Company at Artisan Forge Collective in Eau Claire creates custom guitars and does repairs. The shop is one of 51 businesses in the 33,000-square-foot artisan building.
Eau Claire is friendly to those who walk or ride a bike. The city has nine pedestrian bridges like this one that spans the Chippewa River on the city's west side.
Gail Schellinger is surrounded by her art work in her second floor studio at Banbury Place in Eau Claire. Schellinger, 68, grew up in Eau Claire and has had her studio based in the former tire factory since 2012.
“It’s great because it’s not just a pile of bricks that are being hauled off," Schellinger said of the former Uniroyal-Goodrich plant that closed in 1992. "It’s useful. People start their businesses here and a lot of times they move on. But a lot of us just like to hang around."
Forage is an event space and commercial kitchen and one of the 155 businesses in Banbury Place, a 1.9 million-square-foot former tire factory in Eau Claire. Forage is owned by Kristen Dexter, pictured, and Michelle Thiede.
Jack Kaiser, along with his father, purchased the former Uniroyal-Goodrich tire plant in Eau Claire in 1992 and have transformed the building into Banbury Place, a hub of manufacturing, small businesses and artisan studios.
