USA, RI: Lops Brewing to open in downtown Woonsocket by early July

Downtown Woonsocket is filled with empty storefronts, but Mayor Lisa Baldelli-Hunt is hopeful strong revitalization efforts will change that, Turn to 10 reported on April 6.

“The ‘main street’ of Main Street really struggled. A lot of the buildings were in difficult condition, but people are taking a look at those now,” Baldelli-Hunt said.

Most notably, a brewery is opening at 122 North Main St., which is just down the road from the Stadium Theater. Lops Brewing will include a taproom, trivia and live music. The building was on the verge of being condemned until local businessman John Messier saw potential and began extreme rehab efforts, Baldelli-Hunt said.

The brewery is the namesake of Sean Lopolito, a home brewer from Plainville who looked at a handful of Rhode Island and Massachusetts locations before deciding on Woonsocket.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Melissa Murray, a Democrat who represents District 24, and Rep. Michael Morin, another Democrat who represents District 49), to help pave the way for the brewery is now headed to the governor.

“We’re trying to get Rhode Island to compete with other states as far as beer tourism. Every time I say, ‘Beer tourism’ it sounds funny, but it’s a real thing,” Morin said in an interview with NBC 10 News. “People are traveling to different cities, different states visiting local breweries. They’re staying in hotels. They’re visiting stores. It’s a good economic development tool.”

Murray said a small brewery is a perfect fit for the effort to revitalize downtown Woonsocket. The city currently has one brewery, Ravenous Brewing Co., on Cumberland Hill Road.

“We now have a number of high-quality restaurants and bars, plus the Stadium Theatre, which has become a regional attraction with national acts and popular large productions,” Murray said. “This is an exciting opportunity for downtown Woonsocket, one that could help in the effort to bring in visitors and help develop the neighborhood and its atmosphere.”

Baldelli-Hunt described the investment in the city as “contagious.”

“When you see people investing in property, others take note of that and then they want to get involved and they want to get in while they still have reasonable pricing for real estate,” Baldelli-Hunt said.

According to Rhode Island’s Division of Municipal Finance, Woonsocket’s commercial real estate tax for fiscal year 2019 is $36.19 per $1,000 of assessed value. Providence’s commercial tax rate is $36.70; Cranston’s is $30.44; Pawtucket is $33.21. The largest commercial tax rate belongs to Central Falls, which sits at $39.67 in the given data.

Lops Brewing will sit below offices and apartments aimed at young professionals. Rent is expected to cost around $800 to $1,300 monthly.

On top of the North Main Street investment, the city can also look forward a new restaurant opening shortly, Blackstone River Bikeway expansion, and a private commuter rail set to begin operations in spring of 2020, the mayor said.

“With that happening, and the higher education facility coming into Woonsocket, which is the second training in the state, that will bring additional people to our Main Street area,” Baldelli-Hunt said. “It’s difficult for mayors to bring back darkened main streets because things changed over the years, but we’ve stayed focused and we continue to work to bring new development into Main Street and downtown.”

Lops Brewing is expected to open in late June or early July, Lopolito said.

07 April, 2019