The Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board will pump over $500,000 in mining tax funds into a brewery and tap room planned for the old train depot in Ely, but the owners’ stance on mining was a point of contention prior to approval.
Ultimately, the IRRRB voted 5-1 Wednesday to support both a $300,000 downtown redevelopment grant and a $259,826 loan for Border Lakes Brewing, which is planning a better than $2 million development of the historic train depot located at the corner of Camp Street and Central Avenue.
But before they gave their OK, some lawmakers voiced concern about the company’s ties to Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness, which is part of a coalition opposed to proposed copper- nickel mining ventures in the region.
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