WAITE PARK -- Patrons of a burned down bar in Waite Park will be able to return in the spring to catch up with friends over a beer and a ballgame. Ultimate Sports Bar & Grill owner Tom Frericks says he plans to rebuild the bar after a fire destroyed it this spring.

Frericks says several reasons led him to the decision.  He says it made sense for him financially and it's where his heart is.  He also points to a loyal customer base, a passion for the industry and a great location. In addition, he gets to design it from the ground up...

The newness of it really excites me because I got in in '86 and took a smaller building and just kept gutting it and gutting it and gutting it to the degree of trying to expand it every angle I possibly could along the way. When you do something like that, you always make it work but the reality is none of it was really built with any form of consistency or continuity.

The layout will be the same with an expanded bar area, larger kitchen and expanded patio. Frericks says some new features will likely be added including an ax-throwing pit and removable windows in the dining area for an open-air dining experience.

Frericks says he'll work to bring in new sports memorabilia which was lost in the fire and offer all of the sports broadcasts as before.

The bar burned on the morning of April 6th.

Demolition starts Monday with work to rebuild starting September 1st. Frericks plans to open the doors on March 1st, ahead of the NCAA men's college basketball tournament.

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Fire Destroys the Ultimate Sports Bar and Grill

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