by Cori Hilsgen
news@thenewsleaders.com
The 120-year-old barn located on the Scenic Specialties Inc. grounds has been moved and will soon be ready for wedding celebrations and more.
The barn is located on a 14-acre farm which owner, Randy Schmitz, bought September 2001 from the Rennie family. After purchasing the property, he and his family began developing a plan to bring the buildings up to code with modern amenities, while trying to preserve the unique features of the historic buildings.
His decision to join the wedding-venue business by opening the Rolling Ridge Wedding and Event Center has been a three-year process.
“I have a few friends in the industry and we felt the business model would be a good fit for our landscape design and installation business and our park-like property,” he said.
The process took a great deal of planning. The barn was lifted from its foundation and moved to a new location, about 75 feet away.
The move was done by Thein Moving Co. from Clara City, using heavy equipment, large steel beams, computerized hydraulic jacks, remote-control dollies and various math skills.
The barn, which was built from locally harvested tamarack logs and rough-sawn fir and oak, was moved, turned 90 degrees, pushed on steel beams and placed on a new foundation of 12-foot poured-cement walls.
The building, which weighed about 80,000 pounds, was placed on its new foundation June 18.
A new shell and wrap was built around the outside of the barn to increase structural strength and provide space for insulating the building for heat and air conditioning. Installation of new steel for the roof and siding for the barn will soon be completed.
When it is finished, the building will have a fire sprinkler system and will be handicapped accessible.
“Most barns in Minnesota are not handicapped accessible and (so) it’s illegal to rent them for public occupancy without structurally certifying the building and making the buildings handicapped accessible,” Schmitz said. “(This is) a process that is very difficult, expensive and time-consuming due to the variables present in a historic structure. Our goal was to restore this property to use for the next 120 years.”
His venture into weddings includes refurbishing the barn; building a bridal suite, where bridesmaids and others can dress, do hair and makeup and even celebrate with some beverages on a private patio space; completely remodeling the former retail showroom to feature “The Lone Tree Lounge” with heated and air-conditioned restrooms and a kitchen; and turning a chicken coop into “The Roosters Roost” which is where the guys can get ready and hang out before the wedding, with leather couches, a dart board, foosball and a mini bar.
The barn should be completed by September. The lounge will be finished toward the end of September. The facility will be open in October, and they are already booking events. They are also planning a grand opening/open house in the fall.
Schmitz’s primary focus for the barn is weddings, and he plans to provide a place where all events of the day can take place in one location. People will be able to rent the space from 8 a.m.-midnight.
The barn, which can hold 300 people, will be available seasonally, from April-October. Since it will have a heating system, there is the possibility it could be used all year long.
Partnering with Custom Catering by Shortstop, they have created a custom menu of items that will be served only at Rolling Ridge. A full bar menu, except keg beer, will also be available.
“We chose to work with Short Stop because they have amazing food, service and can provide both the food and beverage services,” Schmitz said.
Schmitz and his wife, Nancy, hope to create the “Ultimate Wedding Experience,” but they also plan to host other social gatherings.
They will accept reservations for non-wedding events up to a year in advance for Monday-Friday events and six months in advance for Saturday events, which book quickly.
Rolling Ridge, located at 31101 CR 133, will be a private area for wedding celebrations and more. Because of its location, guests will have access to many accommodations in St. Joseph and the surrounding area.
Schmitz plans to continue to operate the full-service Scenic Specialties landscape design, installation and maintenance company. The retail garden center has recently been liquidated and he plans to focus his resources on his landscape design and installation business, which he said is booming.
The landscape business employs about 30 people during peak season. They will be looking for more employees.
“We are always looking for good people,” Schmitz said. “We are looking to hire an experienced landscape foreman for our busy fall season and to complete the many landscape projects we have to finish before our grand opening in October. My wife, director of first impressions, and myself are intimately involved with our event business until we hire a coordinator sometime this fall or winter.”
Schmitz, who grew up in Sauk Rapids, earned an associate’s degree in horticulture and a diploma in landscape technology from Central Lakes College, Brainerd.
He previously worked at Thomsens Greenhouse and Garden Center before starting his landscaping business. Schmitz said former owners, Bob and Bonnie Thomsen, were wonderful people to work with and helped him start Scenic Specialties, which was located at Thomsens for five years before it moved to its current location.
“Both Thomsens and Scenic Specialties grew so much we needed more room,” he said.
Schmitz has been married to Nancy for 13 years. They have three children: Lily, Sylvie and Wylie, and a cat name Princess LuLu.
For more information, visit the website RollingRidgeEvents.com or call 320-257-7750 and speak with Peggy, Nancy or Randy.
Visit the Facebook page rollingridgeevents to see videos and photos of the barn restoration process.
A 120-year-old barn at Scenic Specialties Inc. was lifted off its foundation and turned 90 degrees, and thena new concrete foundation was poured for it to be placed on. The barn is now part of a wedding venue business, Rolling Ridge Wedding and Event Center, located on the property.
The Rolling Ridge Wedding and Event Center barn is moved by Thein Moving Co. from Clara City. The company used steel beams, computerized hydraulic jacks, remote-control dollies and more during the moving process.
Randy (left) and Nancy Schmitz watch as a 120-year-old barn is lifted off its original foundation and turned. The barn is part of a new wedding venue business, Rolling Ridge Wedding and Event Center, the Schmitzes recently started.
Nancy Schmitz holds son, Wylie, as she talks about the bridal suite at the Rolling Ridge Wedding and Event Center.
Thein Moving Co. moves the Rolling Ridge Wedding and Event Center barn off its original foundation.
A new foundation is prepared for the 120-year-old barn which is being moved from its former location, about 75 feet away.
Dirt and parts of the old foundation remain after a 120-year-old barn is lifted and moved.
Randy and Nancy Schmitz stand with their children, Sylvie (left front) , Lily (center front) and Wylie (held by Nancy), in front of the 120-year-old barn before it’s placed on its new poured concrete foundation.
