USA, MI: Proposed brewery on Seven Mile in Livonia planning 2021 opening

A planned brewery in northeast Livonia is expected to open its doors next year after delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic that slowed economic activity in the state for months, Hometownlife.com reported on August 25.

The proposed brewery at 27719 Seven Mile requested a one-year extension of its approvals to allow work to continue past the original time frame because of the slowdowns with construction in recent months.

"The petitioner in the letter explains the due to the pandemic, operations were halted in early March 2020 to just recently," said Mark Taormina, the city's planning and economic development director. "This would allow them the time to get qualified contractors and for them to obtain building permits.

"It's strictly an extension of what we previously approved."

The plans call for a complete renovation of the building, which formerly housed a carpet and flooring business. Work on the parking lot would also take place and a small beer garden would also be added to the property. The space would only serve beer; no kitchen is planned at the site.

The project originally received a recommendation for approval from the planning commission in spring 2019 and received city council approval a few months later.

Andrew Schumacher, one of the owners and a Livonia resident, said he anticipates getting building permits for the site in the next few weeks. He said they plan on opening the brewery, which appears to be tentatively called Coppersmith Brewing, sometime in either spring or summer of 2021.

"That is our anticipated timeline," he said.

With the recommended approval, the extension now goes to the city council for its review and decision.

A website for the brewery lists several beers planned, including a smoked porter, English-style IPA and high-gravity saison.

Once the brewery does open, it will join two others operating in Livonia, both of which have opened up in the last few years: SuperNatural Brewing and Spirits opened on Plymouth Road back in 2017 and Schoolcraft College students have brewed and sold beer the last several years at the college's VisTaTech Center off Haggerty Road.

25 August, 2020