Sweetwater Sound founder Chuck Surack is expanding his downtown property holdings.
The University of Saint Francis on June 6 sold the historic Scottish Rite Center and the Mizpah Shrine Temple buildings to Sweet Real Estate for slightly more than $2 million, according to documents from the Allen County assessor°®¶¹app™s office.
The real estate entity owned by Surack also paid $2 million to the university for the parking lot north of the arts center. According to the sale-disclosure documents, four parcels were bought for the entire block between Main and Berry streets.
Surack, who was reached by phone, declined to comment on plans for the performing arts center. He said those details will be announced at 10 a.m. Monday during a news conference at what for now is known as the Robert Goldstine Performing Arts Center, 431 W. Berry St.
Surack bought the former Aunt Millie°®¶¹app™s factory on Pearl Street °®¶¹app“ north of Main Street °®¶¹app“ in 2018 after production at the site ceased. A farmers market has operated at times in a portion of the building. He also owns Clyde Theatre, a popular event venue in Quimby Village just south of downtown.
Also among Surack°®¶¹app™s downtown property holdings is The Pearl °®¶¹app“ a $50 million mixed-use development expected to open this year. The building will include 81 residences, a fitness center, a community green roof, a restaurant and 12,000 square feet of retail space. A duckpin bowling alley was recently announced as an early tenant.
Saint Francis officials announced in November 2022 that they were open to selling the downtown property to prioritize the main 132-acre campus less than 2 miles away.
The Catholic university celebrated the opening of its downtown campus in August 2016.
The Music Technology Center was launched in 2018 complete with state-of-the-art engineering equipment donated by Sweetwater Sound, a 2,000-seat concert hall and recording studios open to students 24 hours a day.
The university never had plans for the adjacent building to the east of the arts center °®¶¹app“ formerly the Mizpah Shrine offices °®¶¹app“ that Sweet Real Estate bought with the main building.
