WADENA — With the goal of impacting downtown Wadena as well as a long-term investment for their future, Brittney and Abe Ewert purchased two downtown buildings, which include four apartments and two commercial rentals.
The Ewerts formed A & B Estates, LLC to start their first landlord experience. With excitement on owning the buildings, the Ewerts will pick up where previous landlord Don Hoffmann left off.
“I just wanted to be a part of downtown Wadena and be a part of the history,” Ewert said. “And I’m learning a lot about downtown Wadena now that we have the old abstracts.”
Throughout the years, Make Me Wine at 215 S Jefferson has housed the Rex McDonald Photography Studio and a dance hall called the Tuxedo Hall. At 213 S Jefferson, the businesses have included Glamour Salon, Mid-Minnesota Tae Kwon Do School, Brockhoff Hardware, Beaudreau Hardware, A. F. Zosel Hardware, Finney’s Cafe, Wadena Cafe and Jerdons Ladies store, according to Wadena County Historical Society records.
Ewert enjoys talking with her Grandpa and other local history buffs about downtown history. He remembers visiting the ladies store to buy presents for his mom.
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As the owner of Glamour Salon, Ewert has some experience with renters as each of the stylists rent their chair space from her. Glamour opened at their downtown location in February 2020, though the salon started in 2009. From the beginning, Ewert knew she wanted to own property and working with Hoffmann allowed her three years to purchase the building. A & B Estates, not Glamour, purchased the building.
With ownership of the building, Ewert said most aspects will stay the same. She hopes to replace the Glamour windows in the next three to five years and soffits and gutters in the back.
The apartments are currently filled, though one may be available soon. Housing in Wadena is hard to find, though new homes are planned for construction in 2022 .
“I just want to provide people with good living solutions and situations in Wadena. I feel like we’ll be attentive to their needs,” Ewert said.
She added their experiences as renters will also prove helpful on aspects like first and last month rent, deposits and how to be fair. “(Hoffmann) definitely has set it up and guided me in the right direction,” Ewert said.
“If you provide them with a good place to live, and I feel like if you hold them to a high standard, they’re going to respect it more than if you give them just a junky place to rent,” Ewert said.
In the future, Ewert would love to expand their property ownership to a craft retreat house with a country, river or lake-type setting.
