Meet the Developers
Richard Vezina
Richard “Rick” grew up in St. Croix Falls and just one block from the Auditorium Theatre and saw many movies there during his childhood. The theatre was a place to relax, have fun and it became a cultural memory of St. Croix Falls, as both a movie theatre, music venue and live theatre.
During his childhood Rick developed a deep appreciation for St. Croix falls and the St. Croix Watershed, and the history of the area. During his college years, he developed a passion for architecture, architectural history and construction. He has been involved in the construction industry ever since graduating from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.
Rick got hands-on experience in the field first as a laborer and carpenter and worked his way into estimating and project management. In 1994 Rick formed the Commercial Division of Braden Construction and later became owner/partner. Subsequently, Lift Bridge Builders spun off as the commercial entity, identifying with their present location next to the historical Stillwater lift bridge in Houlton WI.
Rick lives on a hobby farm north of St. Croix Falls with his wife Susan. They have 2 adult children, Charlie and Mirabelle. In addition to many winter and summer sports: boating, skiing, biking and hiking, Rick loves adventure travel of all types.
Jeff Virchow
My family and I have been residents in this community for 36 + years. I built the house that we still live in. My two children went to school here from kindergarten through high school. My wife, Liesel, was born and raised here as well and has deep roots in our town. I have been retired for several years. I am a woodworker and a maple syrup producer.
Because of my career and my travel schedule, I was unable to give back to our community during my working years. I now have the time to be involved and I am using my skill set to help move our community forward. In my professional life I was a senior manager of what was at that time the largest crop insurance company in the country. I worked my way up in the company from an office supervisor to finish out my career as the national claims manager. The real role of a manager is to build a culture of success and inclusiveness, and that is what I am most proud. If you work as a team with common goals and a shared vision you will all but guarantee success in whatever endeavor you are involved in.
Starting in April of 2019, I was elected to the city council in St Croix Falls and spent 3 years working with other council persons and the mayor to help save our historic auditorium in downtown among many other important issues faced by the city. I met and worked with a variety of groups and business owners who have a shared passion for building a better St Croix Falls. It has been a major focus of mine to help revitalize our downtown corridor and my involvement with the restoration of the Historic Auditorium is an important step in that direction.
About The Project
When 210 Civic, LLC purchased the building from the City of St Croix Falls in March of 2023, it was with one goal in mind……to renovate the building keeping its historic integrity intact as much as possible. We understood that we needed to add usable space beyond the original footprint to accommodate a 4 stop elevator, ADA compliant restrooms, more seating areas, a loading dock to stage level, and much needed storage space, And ALL of that within a very tight budget.
We knew going into the project that most of the existing plumbing, heating and electrical services were either insufficient or simply not at all usable. Many of the code requirements that were in existence in 1917 when the original structure was built have changed dramatically. We are committed to bringing the building up to current state codes while respecting its original architecture. The history of the building is very important to us and our community, so we planned the building additions for the north and east sides, to maintain the west and south facades that are most noticeable from street views.
One main focus of our renovation has been to uncover and restore the original windows in the performance hall that have not been seen by anyone in many long years. While there has been deterioration of the frames and sashes over time, we were very encouraged to find them in pretty good shape. We have been able to replace the rotted wood, will make the windows fully functional again; in addition, we will protect them from further damage by the use of up-to date storm windows. We are also extremely excited about restoring the balcony in the performance hall for use as a seating area, as it was originally intended to be.
The Historic Auditorium is not just a renovation project; it is an important element in preserving the history of our community. This building is woven into the fabric of St Croix Falls. We believe that it will serve as a catalyst in the rejuvenation of our downtown corridor, as well as, giving patrons a thoroughly enjoyable venue to experience live theater, music and other community events in a fully renovated space.