Longtime Oelwein bar, banquet hall burns down

OELWEIN – A longtime restaurant and bar burned to the ground in Oelwein, according to authorities.

Firefighters found Brick City South, formerly known as the Sportsman, ablaze early this morning south of Oelwein. No injuries were reported.

“By the time I got here the whole roof was engulfed with flames,” said Bricks South Bar & Grill co-owner Jeff Alber.

Brick City South had a restaurant, bar and popular dance hall. The owner says the place closed before 10 p.m. Friday night. Shortly after midnight is when firefighters were called.

The cause of the fire is yet unknown, but the owners believe the fire may have started in the kitchen.

All Alber could do was watch as the three bars, banquet hall and dining room burned down.

“We had a lounge area and then the dining on the far end of the building,” Alber said.

Behind the sports bar was the banquet hall. It sat 400 to 500 people and was the biggest part of the business.

“We had a bunch of weddings booked for this summer and weddings booked for 2012 already,” Alber said.

This building was a staple in the community for more than 60 years, he said.

“It's very sad, not just for us, but a community. A community needs a place like this. It's just so sad,” Alber said.

The goal now is to move forward. Alber says only material things were lost and he plans to rebuild.