USA, NY: Genesee Brewing to open a new brew house

The Genesee Brewing Co. announced on November, 18 plans to transform a century-old packaging center to a brew house, a $2.6 mln project with a microbrewery and tasting area.

The move would create 10 jobs.

The Genesee Brew House, scheduled to open next summer, will be designed to celebrate the brewery’s history, including tours of the brewing process, officials said. The brewery was founded in 1878.

“For months, we have been collecting and organizing our history, artifacts and story so that we can tell it in a way that engages people,” Genesee Beer brand manager Janine Schoos said in a statement.

“We will create a place that immerses people in our culture and helps them truly experience Genesee in a way that is memorable.”

Two abandoned buildings will be removed to make way for the 9,200-square-foot brew house, officials said. The buildings have been abandoned for some 25 years, cannot be reasonably repaired and pose safety concerns for brewery employees and visitors, officials said.

The buildings have been for sale for an extended period, officials said, with no offers received. The buildings would require millions of dollars in repair costs.

The latest development follows investments totaling $20 mln by North American Breweries Inc. to upgrade the St. Paul Street brewery with new machinery, energy efficiency improvements and new technology, officials said.

“We want to transform our neighborhood from a forgotten and neglected area to a place where people want to come,” Lozyniak said.

23 November, 2011