Pabst Castle Brewery Project Begins Licensing Process

In Dining, News, SBNA / By / / 16 comments

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Spike Owens and Mike McDonald, neighborhood residents and the duo behind a proposed brewery and tap room at the Pabst Castle at 1834 S. Charles St. (on the corner of Wells St.), met with the South Baltimore Neighborhood Association on Tuesday seeking approval for a Federal Class 7 brewing license.  The license would allow them to brew beer on the property, as well as have an attached restaurant B license which requires 40-50% of incomes to come from food.

Owens told SBNA, “The facility is 6,500-7,000 square feet, the majority of which will be focused on the brewing operation.  The restaurant will be about the size of this room [approximately 1000 sq. ft.] and will be used as a marketing tool for our beers and serve as a place where people can try them fresh out of the brewery.”  The restaurant hopes to serve pub food and will only be able to sell beer off the premises to individual customers through the form of growlers.  The building will have 10 dedicated parking spots and will likely be able to use a 50-car lot owned by their landlord on Hanover St.

There was a large discussion at the meeting with concerns about the noise and parking issues that a new restaurant at this location would bring. However, stories were also shared by members about how restaurants can improve blocks and vastly eliminate crime.  The conversation carried on for more than a half an hour and it was decided that a sub-committee would further engage in this matter. This sub-committee will soon meet with Owens and McDonald to specifically discuss SBNA’s approval or disapproval of the license and to establish a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two groups.

Owens and McDonald have building permits for the project and are hoping for the approval of their license before ordering $700,000-$800,000 of non-refundable brewing equipment.  ”We are both residents of the neighborhood, we both have children at the neighborhood schools.  We could have put this anywhere, but were hoping to create a new business here that everyone can be proud of,” said Owens.

We’ll keep you posted on the developments in this project which joins 1901 South Charles and 2 East Wells as projects changing the landscape of Wells St.

Update 2/28: The SBNA held a meeting with the community and Spike Owens and Mike McDonald on Tuesday, February 19th to further discuss the project.  It will now be brought up at the March 12th SBNA meeting where members can vote on whether they will support or oppose it.  The Liquor Advisory Board and the brewery team will work to draft an MOU.

If approved, the project will take approximately six months to complete.  It was noted in the meeting that they’d love to have an outdoor patio in the future to hold approximately 25 people that would close at a reasonable hour.

Update 3/13: Members of the SBNA voted in support of the project at the SBNA meeting on March 12th.

 

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  • bmoreguy

    Why on gods green earth was this not easily approved? The neighborhood association should exist to support our neighbors who invest in our neighborhood by building lives and businesses here. As a proud resident of South Baltimore I’m embarrassed that people in the neighborhood who want to revitalize an empty space and invest nearly a million dollars to give it new life are having to now have their dreams scrutinized by a neighborhood association subcommittee. I really hope these people get over themselves really quick and they not only approve Mr. McDonalds and Mr. Owens plans but apologize for doubting that our neighbors who live here and put there kids in schools here when other people hit the road for the ‘burbs as soon as its time for their kids to enter school have anything less but the best intentions for our neighborhood. The SBNA should absolutely be ashamed of themselves right now.

    Also, the neighborhood doesn’t own the streets. Other neighborhoods seem to balance visitors and residents interests a lot better than we do here. Considering that this proposed restaurant is equipped to offer ten parking spaces in the first place it is absolutely puzzling to me that the SBNA would even have a parking concern. Is there any other restaurant in the territory of the SBNA that offers parking let alone ten spaces?

    Again, the SBNA should really be ashamed of themselves and as a resident of this neighborhood I find this gridlock to be unnecessary and completely embarrassing.

  • human13

    I know “bar” is a bad word for many residents, but a tasteful establishment I think would be a great addition to the neighborhood. We’ve seen what Homeslice has done to what used to be a terrible intersection. Wells and Charles isn’t even bad, its just been unoccupied for years. I currently live across from a for-the-most-part responsible bar, and they are good neighbors. I feel like this place could be the same. South Baltimore needs more stuff like this. Establishments that the neighborhood supports and vis a versa. That being said, we certainly want to do our homework as a neighborhood to ensure this isn’t going to be a Cross Street-like estabilishment, which I don’t think it is.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevin-Lynch/1259877595 Kevin Lynch

    As someone who lives in between Home Slyce and Hersh’s, I can’t tell you the difference their presence alone has made with eliminating crime in the area while never once waking me up out of my sleep.

    Charles and Wells still suffer from too many car break ins because it is deserted. With the new cameras on 1901 South Charles, the cameras coming to 2 East Wells, and hopefully cameras on this building, breaking into a car on Wells Street will be almost an automatic trip to jail.

    Both groups have been working diligently on this new license and I’m sure it will get resolved within the next week or two and should stay right on schedule.

  • SoBo

    These people have deep roots in SoBo, why on earth would people think they would do anything to harm our community. The neighborhood association does not represent me or my neighbors on this one. I look forward to raising a pint with these two guys soon!

  • jz;)

    I think this place is going to be awesome and really help the neighborhood. I remember the old days when every corner was bad, it only takes a good solid business to help clean up the corner. I remember when Heath and Hanover was full of drug dealers, ugh! ;) Looking forward to the brewery! Best of luck!

  • Bmoregirl

    The neighborhood association is “anti-bar”. They are harrassing yet another business by trying to control their business through a MOU. My advice to the new business owner- sign their stupid MOU and then conduct their business in the manner that they need to and dare them to take them in front of the liquor board. They want to cherry-pick the projects that come into the neighborhood- they play favorites to the owners that they like. I wish they would find something more constructive to do then butting into the affairs of the business community. I am not against the NA- but I am against their anti-business activities.

  • Andy

    also 100% back this, we need more people investing in our community.

  • LP

    I can see both sides of the debate. As a home owner who lives close to the project, I am concerned that this establishment won’t distinguish itself from those bars closer to Cross St. This neighborhood is in need of ‘classy’ bars and restaurants that will attract the 30+ professional crowd. I find myself going to Fell’s and Harbor East area for those places. Further, I am concerned with the delivery trucks clogging and disrupting our quiet alley which provides parking for 1800 blocks of Hanover and Charles Streets. If the owners can sign the agreed upon MOU, it will really clean up the Wells/Charles intersection.

    The prominent issue of parking seems to be the main concern. However, these business owners will have the same issue if their non-local patrons can’t find a place to park. Let’s work together on this issue as it is mutually beneficial.

    1901 S. Charles has already given such a face lift to this section of the neighborhood. Please don’t let the handful of loud-mouth non-negotiable members of the SBNA be the face of entire association.

  • sobomeme

    This will save me a trip to Heavy Seas which even with a garage and on the street I can never seem to find a parking spot for my pickup truck in a safe place. I do understand both sides of the story.

  • Dre on Light

    Just from what I’ve seen on the SBNA facebook page, there are some real sticks in the mud that want to blame our neighborhood’s crime and vandalism on the “drunks.” The people they are referring to are young professionals and/or new homeowners (I fall into both of these categories so I take personal offense) who are helping to gentrify the lower part of SoBo. I’m sorry, but if you do not want to live on the same block as a bar/pub/restaurant that serves alcohol, move to the suburbs. I can tell you right now that the crime I’ve witnessed and been victim to are not by this population the majority of the time. You want to blame anyone, blame the parents who can’t control their kids or the drug addicts that hang around the Victory House and on the street corners. Nice establishments by responsible members of our community should be welcomed. These types of businesses raise all of our property values and make our neighborhood safer and more appealing. And as for “bringing the Cross St scene,” you think the crowds who frequent Mothers and Mad River are going to walk all the way down to our end of the hood? And to a place that isn’t bumping techno while the Bud Light flows? People need to get real.

    • Fort

      I don’t think the drunks they are necesarily referring to are the young professionals/new homeowners. While certainly some of the younger people in the neighborhood could act more mature and appropriately after a night of drinking, but this is also in reference to large amount of non-residents that come into the neighborhood at night and disrespect homeowners property. It shouldn’t be allowed just because we live in the city that half of the window flowers or plants people put in front of their homes get destroyed on a regular basis, or that the neighborhood is covered in broken bottles and litter in the morning.

      And you are assuming this place isn’t going to be bumping techno while Bud Light flows? Under what assumption is this? I don’t think it will either, but the neighborhood association is simply doing the due diliegence to ensure that assumption is correct.

      And for the record, I’m heavily for this establishment and look forward to going there when it opens. I’m not for accepting destructive behavior in our neighborhood just because its within the city.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Kevin-Lynch/1259877595 Kevin Lynch

      Yeah, a huge problem that actually exists right at that corner is car break-ins because the building is well known for being abandoned. Put in a vibrant business there and that’s one more spot you can’t get away with car break-ins which is truly a problem.

  • SoBoer

    I just don’t understand how some people could find it in them to fight this so feverishly. They would rather watch this unoccupied building continue to sit and decay than to see a a group of neighbors make a quality investment in the neighborhood.

    My take is if you don’t want this project that bad, put your own money and well being on the line and do something with the building yourself…. Didn’t think so.

    It takes a special kind of person to risk it all and run their own business. It take an even “specialer” kind to sit on their ass tossing roadblocks at people who are trying to run their own business.

  • Fort

    I hope their renovation of the building takes out the cinder blocks and re-installs windows in that place, maybe even get a new front door.

  • Jim Nicholas

    I lived in SoBo for 7 years and this sounds awesome. I rent the house out now, but I try to ensure the tenants are young (like I used to be) and support the local bars and restaurants (like I used to do…a lot more at least). I’m pretty envious of all the development going on. My block wasn’t all that great when I moved in, but it’s greatly improved – and it’s projects like this that help.

    People that have lived in SoBo for most of their lives seem to dislike the change. Or they just dislike young people or something. I didn’t understand it…

    These guys have my support and I’ll make the loooooong drive from Fells to have a few good beers when/if this happens.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Dumas/751054727 Ryan Dumas

    This is great news. I received the newsletter in opposition to this project, and it seemed like speculation for the most part. I guess people still have unpleasant memories of Baja Beach Club, which is understandable, but from what I can tell by looking at the floor plans, the types of licenses requested, and hearing out the owners, I get a sense that these guys have a different type of place in mind.