Renovation will give armory new life

Nick Rowley of Decorah is planning a $1.5 million complete renovation of the old armory building in downtown Decorah that will include a Mexican restaurant and jazz club.

Rowley recently reached an agreement to purchase the building from Decorah Bank & Trust. He intends to restore it to its original brick to house offices for his law firm, Trial Lawyers for Justice, which is dedicated to representing people who are standing up for their civil rights against insurance companies, corporations, the government and HMOs.

The armory was built in 1900 and has housed several companies and businesses, including the National Guard Armory. It is among the properties the Decorah Historic Preservation Commission would like to see preserved.

Rowley said his mother-in-law will reopen a Mexican restaurant on the first floor of the armory.

“The whole building restoration will take about a year, and it will be a wonderful thing for the community when all is said and done. We will have a blues and jazz club in the lowest level of the building,” Rowley said.

The law firm offices will be on the top two floors.

Rowley, who also owns the Cafe Magpie in Decorah, is considering moving the Magpie to the Armory building or opening a separate Magpie Restaurant that ties in to the blues/jazz club.