Friends transform local landmark into sustainable, community art and entertainment venue

STORY BY MICHELLE PAWELSKI // PHOTOS BY ANDY GREENMAN

A group of friends and entrepreneurs are turning an iconic Rapid City landmark into a sustainable, cultural, community gathering spot — a place they hope will become a destination for entertainment, education, and innovation.

While the historic Aby’s Feed & Seed grain elevator, built in 1911, has seen several transformations, the current one is the most comprehensive and unique, said Katy Shafer, general manager of the Aby’s Feed & Seed venue. “We are really building it from scratch.” Located behind Cave Collective, the more than 4,000-square-foot space will feature a beer and wine bar, indoor/outdoor entertainment venue, recording studio, band rehearsal space, as well as an open community area that can be designed for any event.

The project is the dream of building owner Jeremy Briggs who asked a few friends to join him on his journey. Jeremy has been a longtime proponent of utilizing hemp and wanted a community project using the environmentally friendly building material. Much of the renovated space is made from hempcrete, a biocomposite material created by mixing hemp hurd, which is the inner woody core of the hemp stalk, lime, and water. Hempcrete is flame and mold-resistant and is a natural sound-proofing material, ideal for the recording studio and rehearsal spaces. The bar, built by partner Charlie Moore, is made of hempcrete on the top with the base created out of worn down pieces from the grain elevator. “We are trying really hard to build something out of not only things we already have, but things that we can use that make things a little more sustainable and show that it is possible,” Katy explained.

Jeremy and his team have done everything from the construction of the hempcrete bar and recording studio to planning events and marketing. “We are all working together to take this dream and create something for everybody,” Katy said.

And that’s the group’s mission – designing a neighborhood spot built on sustainable hemp where the community is invested. “We want to make it available so people can book the space to teach others how to do their things, especially in the arts, crafts, and music field.”

Ginny Herman, Aby’s Feed and Seed project manager, said it has a co-op feel. “We dream of having artists’ memberships, residency programs, band spaces for rent, and the recording studio.”

The idea began in January and the friends have been hard at work. While Aby’s does not have regular open hours yet, there have been several events giving community members an idea of what to expect, and several more are planned.

Upcoming events include live music by Wyoming blues musician Jalan Crossland on November 5 and Gratitude, a Thanksgiving event on November 24. The group has many ideas, energy, and excitement to bring to Rapid City’s downtown. “On one hand it is crazy because we are building this whole thing with such an intimate crew,” Katy said. “But at the same time, we are all running it together, creating something new for the community.” ▤