After a year of rebuilding efforts following a devastating fire, Sugar Spring Ranch has reopened as a hosting site for weddings, receptions and other special events.

Greg Meyer – who owns the business with his wife Melinda – described the site’s barn and the couple’s goals as hosts, emphasizing Sugar Spring’s charm and versatility.

“We’re an all-in-one with a ceremony site, beautiful landscaping and views and a state-of-the-art event center,” Meyer said. “We’re kind of a rustic venue with modern amenities.”

The barn – which is the business’s main event hall  – burned down in late May 2021 after just a few weeks of service.

Meyer said the brief time the venue was open for business was busy and positive, which made the loss of the barn to a late-night fire all the more tragic.

“We were booked up solid, so it was a tragedy. To this day, probably the worst thing that ever happened in my life,” Meyer said. “But the worst part is disrupting the plans of all these people that were engaged and planning to get married there.”

According to Meyer, the fire started about 2:30 a.m. after the staff had finished cleaning up an event that ended just 90 minutes prior.

Meyer said the source of the fire was never determined by officials. He added that he and the staff were “fanatics” about housekeeping and cleanups, checking the surrounding grounds for trash and cigarette butts.

The reopening was announced last week on Facebook. The post described the Meyers’ excitement as well as their struggles trying to rebuild the barn.

Meyer shared a similar sentiment, describing the rebuilding process as a “nightmare” and expressing that construction during COVID felt like a “whole different world.”

He emphasized the cost of rebuilding due to material and labor shortages. The process was also exacerbated by difficulties negotiating plan approvals with Monroe County and scheduling work with contractors outside the county.

“I can’t believe it’s really the same barn being built in the same location a year apart,” Meyer said. “It’s just night and day.”

Despite the struggles, Meyer said he is happy to have the site rebuilt – what he referred to as “Sugar Spring 2.0.” While the barn is largely the same, the Meyers did do some interior rearranging to make better use of the space.

He said the idea for the venue originally came from Melinda about 10 years ago. Back then, they didn’t know exactly what they wanted to do with the space, though he did say he was ultimately surprised at just how much they got right.

“This has been on our minds forever, and so we finally did it,” Meyer said.

Meyer also discussed a currently ongoing matter concerning his attempts to access Columbia city water service for the venue.

According to Meyer, he was told by the county that he would have to acquire easements through the properties between Columbia city limits and Sugar Spring Ranch.

With rebuilding efforts finally complete, Meyer emphasized his excitement to finally let Sugar Spring Ranch be what it was meant to be.

“It’s a great space, and we’re just excited to be open,” Meyer said. “It was such a long process, a lot longer than we ever anticipated. That was the frustrating thing. It’s a big sigh of relief to have it finished and opened and let everybody enjoy it.”

During the rebuilding process, the Meyers also opened Sugar Spring South at 1365 N. Illinois Route 3 in Waterloo, which has enjoyed success.

For more information on Sugar Spring Ranch, visit sugarspringranch.com or call 618-281-2276.