City of Chicago

The concrete in the brewhouse and bathrooms is now complete and all the adjoining walls are up.  Most of the plumbing rough-in is also done and electrical is in full force.  Today the big pipes going outside for the new 1200 amp service were installed.  We're still waiting on ComEd to install the new transformer, but it looks like we are only a couple week away from hooking up the new service.  There's no wire in the pipes yet, so all you copper thieves reading this blog can go back to what you were doing. 

Unfortunately, due to the nice weather, the uncooperative concrete contractor didn't show up at our indoor job site today, so the kitchen floor will have to wait.    Upstairs we did get a new plywood floor for the back office and the malt room today.   The HVAC sub contractor has been a little slow getting going as has the iron guy, but he's expected tomorrow with the new front staircase.  It's the stair that will take you up to our second floor space that has yet to be officially named and won't be ready when we open anyways. 

In the front of the house, Jim and I have been working on the booths and the adjoining bar area drink rail.  Today we picked up a vintage quarter-sawn oak built-in hutch from Zina of Logan Square Kitchen.  She salvaged it and had it stripped, but didn't end up using it.  I'm going to turn into a backbar display for our host stand and merch area.   Speaking of merch, I've been getting more and more requests for hats and tees, but we are all out for the moment.  We'll get more soon and Todd has promised to get our online store going as soon as we start paying him for our website work. I would link to his new company's website offering Drupal website hosting, but alas, their site still needs some work.

Even more in front of the house, the plumbers finally brought the new water service into the building last week.  Since our beer will be mostly water, this is a good thing.  Here's a pic of the new 4 inch line entering the basement as seen from the street:

After the plumbers dug holes in the sidewalk and the street and got the line most of the way out to the city line, the Water Department crew showed up to make the tap.  Having never before seen this process, I was quite enthralled.  Visions of spouting water never materialized however and the whole process was done in about 45 minutes.  The main line in Milwaukee was maybe 10 inches, and they put a neat gasketed, stainless, clamp-style tee fitting on it:

Then they put a valve on the flange and hooked up an extendable air drill with a hole saw through the valve and cut open the city main.  The drill extended back out and they closed the valve without wasting a drop.  Not rocket science but impressive to see it done so smoothly and quickly.  The crew said they do about 4-5 a day and had to head to Hegwisch next, so they probably spent more time driving than plying their trade.  Now I just want to see how a Peoples Gas crew taps into the 24 inch monster of a gas main which was also in the street:

This is the kind of work to leave to the professionals.  Thanks to the neighbors for putting up with the sidewalk closure for a few days, so that the world may enjoy some tasty beer in a few months.

Last week, the City's Zoning Committee approved our request for a zoning change to reduce parking requirements for our brewery. We've had a couple community meetings about this, and almost everyone in attendance was in favor, so there wasn't much controversy. All the same, this is just one of the many bureaucratic hoops we need to jump through on our way to opening.

Rehabbing and old building that covers the entire lot we had to make the choice between making space for fermentation tanks or cars, which was easy for me to make. Milwaukee Ave. has lots of metered street parking, and I hope most folks walk or take public transport, especially if they're drinking. The proximity to CTA service (El stop and three bus lines within a block) were major factors in choosing this location.

Next hoop to jump through: getting a building permit. It only takes 4-5 weeks to get an appointment with the Dept. of Buildings to apply and submit plans. When the plans are approved is anyones guess. I think we'll be lucky if we get through the process in another 3 months. Gotta love Chicago.

A couple weeks ago, about 40 people assembled for the unveiling of the Milwaukee Ave. Corridor Plan for the stretch between Western and California. Our building is about 100 feet away from the 'study area' in the next ward over, but I'm a nosy neighbor so I got involved anyways.

Alderman Manny Flores instigated the plan (and convinced the city to pay for it with TIF funds) and you can download it off his website. If you didn't know it already, lots of properties are changing hands in this area and drastic redevelopment seems like a guarantee. Page 33 of the report maps out the carefully-worded 'Sites Susceptible to Change' and shows that most of the properties are in play.

I attended a few of the community meetings to gather ideas for the plan, which were well-run as community meetings go thanks to the folks at CNT. Although the plan is a nice-looking document and makes some good recommendations, there doesn't seem to be any swift change in policy or zoning coming out of it. I'm all for its number one theme of transit-oriented development but I know that to make that happen we'll need some action on the policy front and continuing support from the community. The best immediate impact the plan had in my eyes was just getting residents, businesses and land owners in the same room to talk turkey for a few hours. There is as much disagreement as agreement on issues, but at least we put a human face on the debate.

Everyone wants to know what is going to be built on some of these sites. Condos? A strip mall? A new McDonalds? Or some nice pedestrian-friendly multi-use retail buildings? Whatever gets built (and how fast it happens) will have a definite impact on our success as a brewpub but we'll just have to wait and see for the most part. Hopefully things go according to plan:

From Page 26:

Development Principles
The following “development principles” have been derived from the
community input that was strong throughout the planning process.
These principles should be used to apply the community’s vision and
plan for the future development of a vital commercial district on
Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square.

1. Encourage compact, mixed density development with
multiple uses: a mix of uses and density generates a vibrant
assortment of people at many hours of the day. Urban
corridors, such as Milwaukee Avenue, have several built-in
advantages: many different uses are located close by, they
are easily accessible, and uses are often mutually supportive
(i.e., entertainment and restaurants). The Corridor should
contain a mix of building types: high and low, old and new,
that accommodates a range of businesses and residents.

2. Design for people, not cars: recognize the desire for
diversity and transportation options other than driving.
Given the strong presence of transit along the Corridor,
Milwaukee Avenue should continue to have a
pedestrian/bicyclist/non-motorized transportation
orientation. Encourage bicycle parking in new
developments. Set aside more area for dedicated, secured
bicycle storage and parking. Implement existing zoning
regulations that allow for lower parking standards when
developing within 0.25 -miles of either the Western or
California Blue line stations.

3. Involve the private sector and encourage public/private
partnerships: other than the CTA Elevated tracks, sidewalks,
streets, and other easements and rights-of-way, there is no
publicly-owned land along the corridor; thus, most change
will come from the private sector. Whenever appropriate,
incentivize development that conforms with the vision and
development principles put forth in this Plan.

4. Promote diverse housing options: allow higher density and
require a mix of product types for a broad range of incomes.
Living near transit can satisfy the desire for community,
independence, opportunity, and convenience for all ages
and income levels. Housing should include rental and forsale,
at both market and affordable housing price ranges.

5. Create public spaces: encourage creative opportunities for
open and green space, including public art, street vendors,
markets, concerts, and performances that draw people and
vitality into the area to stimulate economic activity.
Encourage plazas and gathering spots as part of new, larger
scale residential development. Work with the CTA to use
the land under the CTA Elevated tracks for public use around
the Western and California stations and local parking at
selected mid-block locations.

6. Promote pedestrian connections and innovative use of
public right-of-way: recognizing that Milwaukee Avenue is
highly-used by commuters, residents, and visitors, any
improvements in pedestrian connections, safety, and bicycle
storage are important to the community and key to
maintaining and enhancing the vibrancy of the Corridor.

7. Establish attractive landmarks & gateways: incorporate
unique streetscaping elements along the Corridor, such as
public art, benches, lighting, and signage that signify
Milwaukee Avenue as the “front door” to Logan Square.

8. Develop retail that is market driven: “ understand that retail
follows rooftops”--- increasing the amount, type, and mix of
retail is a desirable element in a community and a valuable
generator of taxes and services, but needs to be supported
by market demand. It is better to have a few busy,
successful stores than many dark empty ones.

9. Promote environmental best practices: use programs such
as Chicago’s Green Streets & Alleys and other pilot programs
underway by the City. Promote use of green roofs and U.S.
Green Building Council standards. Plant trees along the
Corridor to clean the air, reduce heat islands, cool buildings,
relax people, and provide shade for pedestrians.

35th Ward Alderman Rey Colon is inviting the public to a community to give input about the proposed financial assistance for our project from the City's Fullerton-Milwaukee TIF District. TIF stands for Tax Increment Financing, which is a property-tax based funding tool which is being used to promote economic development in the Milwaukee Ave. commercial corridor. A portion of property taxes are set-aside into a fund to subsidize public improvements and private developments. We have requested $490,000 in assistance for our $3.4M project. We'll be using the money to redo our facade, install a green roof and add a passenger elevator to the building to make it fully handicapped accessible.

The community meeting will be held Wednesday, October 10th, 7pm at the Logan Square Branch Library, 3030 W. Fullerton Ave.