USA, FL: Mastry's Brewery expects to start work on St Pete Beach location by the end of the year

Plans are progressing for a 40,000-square-foot brewery and marketplace that will anchor a new mixed-use destination in Pinellas Park, St Pete Beach, St Pete Rising reported on November 12.

Matthew Dahm, founder and CEO of Mastry's Brewery, expects to start site work by the end of the year on a new 5,000-square-foot brewery and 36,000-square-foot indoor food hall and market at 5805 Park Boulevard.

Construction permits will be submitted soon for the project, which has been named Park Junction.

The 1.49-acre property previously housed a manufacturing building that has been demolished to make way for the new development, City Development Review Manager Megan Montesino said in a Facebook video, updating the public on the phased project.

Dahm shared new renderings of the future two-building hub with St. Pete Rising, including a courtyard with a children’s play area, an outdoor performance stage created from two 20-foot shipping containers, green space, and an activated rooftop with seating and lawn games.

The new brewery and marketplace will also feature a taproom, offices, art studios, and an event space with a full audio and visual setup.

“Overall, we want to have a project that’s an economic engine supporting small and growing companies that will complement each other in a live, work, and play epicenter,” Dahm said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

“Once we get the main brewery building underway, construction will start on the marketplace. We are phasing this strategically. It’s going to take some time to buildout the brewery and make our beers, spirits, and other beverages and ready to go when the marketplace comes online,” Dahm added.

The project is expected to create 150 jobs and be a cornerstone of Pinellas Park’s City Center development, which aims to establish a true "downtown" stretching across 15 city blocks.

According to the 2050 comprehensive plan, the new City Center District will encompass a new city hall, a public safety (law enforcement, fire, and emergency services) facility, residential and commercial uses, and public parks.

Dahm founded Mastry's Brewing Co. in 2014, initially operating it as a brewpub in a family-owned restaurant. In 2016, the company opened St. Pete Beach’s first craft brewery, located at 7701 Blind Pass Road, which offers over 15 beers on tap.

The St. Pete Beach location, which will remain open, is known for its live music nights and vendor marketplace events. The new facility will have the same creative and collaborative atmosphere.

The new Pinellas Park hub will also ultimately triple Mastry Brewing’s current manufacturing capabilities, increasing regional distribution. The larger space will allow the brewery to offer tours and extend its hands-on educational offerings to University of South Florida St. Petersburg students.

“The St. Pete Beach location has been an incubator for us to testing out what we can do in a limited space. This is going to enhance is by 10-fold,” Dahm said. “We are also going to have a modern industrial stage for live entertainment and host events for the city.”

While different vendors and restaurants will occupy the roughly 15 to 20 spaces inside the marketplace, Dahm said Mastry’s Brewing will anchor the project.

Pre-pandemic, Dahm and Czysczon submitted a proposal to the City of Pinellas Park to develop the site. The city then changed course and listed the property for sale, and the partners resubmitted a new bid.

In May 2023, the City of Pinellas Park selected Dahm to redevelop the site. Three months later, Dahm purchased the site from the city for $100,000.

Earlier this year, Pinellas County unanimously approved a request from Mastry’s Brewing Co. for $1.62 million to assist with the construction of the project, which is estimated to cost nearly $10 million. The Pinellas County funds will come from the Employment Sites Program, which is supported by the Penny for Pinellas.

Dahm is working with the general contracting firm Sinclair Group and Greg Walden with BDG Architects.

Walden designed the original architectural drawing for the St. Pete Beach brewery.

13 November, 2024