<div align="center">A New Wave of Craft Brewer Entrepreneurs</div>

Main and Six Brewing Company

Proposed location for Main and Six Brewing Company

Proposed site plan for Main and Six Brewing Company

Son/daughter combo Dennis Espinosa and Cindy Lasky are in the process of purchasing the 3,000 square foot building located at 1636 Main St with plans to open a brewpub called Main and Six Brewing Company. Among the craft brewing industry, brewpubs and microbreweries are two distinct forms of breweries, each with a different focus. Microbreweries typically produce less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year, with 75% of that beer being sold off-site. Locally, Intuition Ale Works and Bold City Brewery are microbreweries. Brewpubs, often combined with a restaurant, typically sell 25% or more of its beer on site. Whereas microbreweries are focused on distribution, brewpubs are typically neighborhood bars/restaurants that sell most of their product over the counter at an on-site taproom.

The duo is currently in the process of applying for a Planned Unit Development, in order to rezone the property to permit the development of a 3,488 sq ft brewery which includes the sale and service of beer, wine, cider and mead for on-site consumption within the building, as well as, the sale and service of beer, wine, cider and mead for off-site consumption and distribution. If the rezoning is successful, they plan to have the business fully operational within 18-20 months.

According to the rezoning application: “The proposed PUD is consistent with Policy 3.2.1 which provides that the City shall promote through land development regulations infill and redevelopment of existing commercial areas in lieu of permitting new areas to commercialize. The proposed PUD is consistent with Objective 1.4 which requires the City to encourage property owners to maintain and improve buildings, grounds and revitalization of established neighborhoods. The proposed PUD is consistent with Objective 1.5 which requires the City to encourage the preservation of buildings in historic districts by removing obstacles to the rehabilitation of qualified historic buildings and urging their continued use of adaptive reuse. The proposed PUD is consistent with Policy 1.5.2 which requires the City to pursue alternatives that will lead to the preservation, as opposed to the destruction, of landmarks, landmark sites and buildings located in designated historic districts.

The proposed PUD is consistent with Objective 2.2 which requires the City to continue to maintain and implement an urban revitalization strategy for the City’s blighted areas, and those threatened by blight, which will address maintenance, improvement or replacement of existing structures, permit the transition of run-down or grossly under-utilized commercial properties to alternate uses and support the reemergence of diverse urban neighborhoods. The proposed PUD is consistent with Policy 2.2.8 which provides for the promotion and sustaining the viability of existing and emerging commercial areas in order to achieve an integrated land use fabric which will offer a full range of employment, shopping and leisure opportunities to support the City’s residential areas. The proposed PUD is consistent with Policy 3.2.10 which requires the City to encourage redevelopment and revitalization of rundown strip commercial areas.”

9th and Main Brewpub

Proposed location for 9th and Main Brewpub

Proposed location for 9th and Main Brewpub

Jacksonville-based Bono’s Pit Bar-B-Que, led by Scott Adeeb, has submitted a proposal to the City of Jacksonville to convert the former 9th & Main building into a restaurant, brewpup and theater. Plans call for a $596,000 total investment to purchase and renovate the building, vacant since 2008 when the City foreclosed on the property in a dispute with the former owner.

The restaurant portion would be run by an ownership group that formally operated a restaurant in the building, and now operate the popular restaurant Harpoon Louie’s in Farifax Manor, just outside Avondale. A theater space would be operated local mainstay Five & Dime Theatre Company. Additionally, Adeeb would operate a brewpub on-site. Having a variety of complementary uses housed within the site is thought to be a key component of the redevelopment plans, as foot traffic is not robust along a Main Street corridor that features very few anchor institutions.

Hyperion Brewing Company

Proposed location for Hyperion Brewing Company.

Led by Alexandra McKeown and Troy Orton, Hyperion Brewing Company has chosen to lease 1740/1744 N Main Street from Petra Realty. Plans call for the construction of a small production facility that will provide artisan beers sold through an on-site brewpub. While Hyperion will primarily serve their beer in the brewpub, plans also include a limited distribution of product within the Jacksonville market.

The 5,545 sq ft building is located in a strip mall. The units are currently empty. Hyperion Brewing plans to keep the structural integrity of the building intact. There are no plans to change the facade of the building. Inside the building, the redevelopment will maintain the current structure with the wall between the two units remaining and only adding a door between the main space and back room. Walk In Coolers will be installed at the rear of the main space with restrooms for male and female (each with an ADA restroom) across from the Walk In coolers at the rear of the property. The bar will be against the north wall with bar stools for seating. Small seating areas for guests will be located on each side of the building’s entrance and the remaining portion of the space will be used for tables and chairs for seating. Hours of operation will be Wednesday - Friday 3pm - 11pm, Saturday 12pm - 11pm, Sunday 12pm - 10pm. Days of operation will be Sunday - Monday. Occupancy load will be 99 or less in inside 1744 N Main Street. 1740 N Main Street will be used as storage until the brewery is ready for future expansions.

Next: Main Street’s Big Opportunity