A historic downtown building on 2nd Street is getting a fresh start thanks to Sugar Springs Holdings LLC, owned by Verona residents Dr. Elizabeth Townsend and Dr. Daniel Shirley. The property at 224 2nd Street, once home to Primrose Winery and before that Walt’s Toggery, is in the process of being revitalized with a focus on both preservation and future community use.

Townsend, an assistant professor with a PhD in the UW Department of Anesthesiology, and Shirley, an infectious disease doctor with UW Health, purchased the building out of a shared love for New Glarus and its historic architecture.

“We are just two people who love New Glarus, historic architecture, and revitalizing and saving it,” Townsend said. “When we saw the building for sale, we knew we could bring it back to life.”