Lebanon Brewing Co. finalizes deal to open in former fire station
A decommissioned fire station will become the location of a new Lebanon brewery next spring after a development agreement between the city and a brewing company was finalized last week.
Lebanon Brewing Co. has closed on the former fire station located on Silver Street in downtown Lebanon and plans to open a brewery and taproom at the brick warehouse-style building next spring.
"I grew up here, we're all Lebanon guys, and we just really wanted a location similar to this here for a long time," founder Nathan Ridgley said Wednesday. "We've got a lot of people involved that are really passionate about craft beer and the whole brewing industry. So all the pieces fell together and we got tired of waiting."
Construction to renovate the nearly 7,000-square-foot building will begin soon, Ridgley said. The taproom will have 20 taps of craft beer, hard seltzers and non-alcoholic drinks. The brewery will have a production space on the west side of its building featuring brewhouse tanks where patrons will be able to see how the beer is made. On the east side of the building will be a full kitchen and order-up window offering full lunch, dinner and appetizer menus.
Ridgley and his team, which includes a network of investors, a head brewer, a bar manager, and some friends and family, had previously planned to open the brewery at a different location. But when presented with an opportunity to partner with the city to open in a more appealing location, the team jumped all in.
City Manager Scott Brunka said Wednesday the agreement gave the brewing company the control and ownership of the freshly decommissioned fire station in exchange for the city to gain ownership of the property that the brewery had owned at 535 N. Broadway St. as well as cash considerations.
"We love being downtown, it's going to be a great location for us," Ridgley said. "The historic aspect of the building is really cool. It's kind of iconic, so it was really great opportunity that kind of fell on to us, and we're excited to get going."
Lebanon Fire & EMS began moving to its new location, a $6.5 million station constructed on North Broadway Street in November. The city fully moved out of the space on Silver Street this week.
Brunka said the city selected the brewery after a request for proposals process and deemed it a good development for the downtown area.
"It was important for us to take this city building, this city asset, and do something with it that contributes to our downtown and our local economy," he said. "...We're obviously trying to expand and add to our vibrant downtown and this is one piece to that puzzle."
The brewery, which will be located in Lebanon's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, is already offering taproom membership club plans on its lebanonbrewingco.com website.
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This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Lebanon Brewing Co. moves into former fire station
