USA, IA: Field Day Brewing Co. gets site plan approval by North Liberty City Council

A new restaurant and brewery is coming to a growing commercial area in North Liberty as early as spring 2023, The Gazette reported.

The North Liberty City Council at its evening meeting on Tuesday, January 25 unanimously approved a site plan for Field Day Brewing Co., the newest endeavor for restaurant owner Brian Flynn.

Flynn owns various restaurants in the Corridor, including 30hop, Joe's Place and Tin Roost.

Flynn told The Gazette he and his business partners were inspired to open a brewery after discussions about the bar and restaurant business.

“The prospect of creating a brand, brewing our own beer and already having the capabilities to sell the products in our bars and restaurants seemed to just make sense,” Flynn said.

The 20,910-square-foot restaurant and brewery will be on 3.9 acres of land at 925 and 945 Liberty Way, west of Liberty Centre Pond and near Tin Roost.

There also will be an outdoor patio area part of the restaurant near the pond.

Flynn said the hope is to create a community gathering place for North Liberty residents and surrounding communities.

“As North Liberty continues to grow, so does the demand and need for entertainment venues, restaurants, bars and gathering places,” Flynn said.

The outdoor space will be partially covered and include fire pits to allow for year-round activity, Flynn added.

There will be garage doors opening onto the patio, allowing guests to listen to live music playing inside the taproom.

Patrons also will be able to see the brewing process in action, Flynn added.

The parking lot next to the restaurant and brewery will have 156 parking stalls, which is about 20 more than what is required of the proposal, according to the site plan.

During this week’s council discussion, council member Brent Smith asked if there will be noise concerns as there is a residential area south of the Field Day Brewing location. Smith noted there had been past complaints from the live music at Tin Roost.

Ryan Rusnak, the city’s planning director, replied the outdoor spaces go toward the northeast, not toward the south where the residential area is.

Rob Decker, the engineering project manager with Axiom Consultants, said discussions about concerts have focused on indoor events and nothing specific for outdoors. If there will be outdoor events, Decker said it likely will need special permit for specific events.

“I know that their plan is the majority of things are going to be on the inside,” Decker said.

Flynn said next steps include finishing up internal designs.

The hope is for Field Day Brewing to be fully operational by spring 2023, he said.

Council members on Tuesday mentioned the positive addition to a growing space. Council member RaQuishia Harrington brought up how the development is walking distance from other establishments in the area.

Rusnak added he thinks the project "fits perfectly with the Liberty Centre Pond vision.“

In addition to being next to Tin Roost, the new restaurant will be close to Subway, Pancheros, Bluebird Cafe and Sushiya.

The council also unanimously approved the site plan for a 2,234-square-foot Taco Bell on 1.5 acres of land, just on the other side of the street, at 1000 Liberty Way.

The fast-food establishment will feature an outdoor eating area and drive-through.

28 January, 2022