Pinehurst Searching for New Brewery
Brewmaster Brian Evitts and business partner Mike Ratkowski check on a recent batch at their Railhouse Brewery in downtown Aberdeen. Glenn M. Sides
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The village of Pinehurst is looking for a new tenant for the historic steam plant after learning the Railhouse Brewery could not get the financing it needed to renovate and move into the space.
“We are now actively looking for a brewer to run a brewpub out of there,” said Village Manager Andy Wilkison.
The village had obtained $400,000 in federal and state grants to help Aberdeen-based Railhouse Brewery renovate the 1895 building. But Wilkison said the village recently learned that Railhouse was unable to obtain the necessary funding for its part of the project.
Mike Ratkowski, co-owner of Railhouse Brewery, said he is disappointed that the expansion didn’t come together like everyone had hoped, but added that he believes that bringing another brewpub to town could be a win-win for the area.
“In the long run, I think to stay here in Aberdeen we will do great,” Ratkowski said. “And if another brewpub was to open around here, that would be great for the area.”
The planned renovation project is estimated to cost $1.3 million. Renovation of the old steam plant, owned by the Pinehurst Resort, was to be the anchor of redevelopment of a portion of the village known as Village Place.
Pinehurst, which has worked tirelessly in recent years to try to stimulate business growth in Village Place, will press forward with a study of the area and seek ways to stimulate growth there. The area, formerly known as NewCore, is seen as a vital link between downtown Pinehurst and residential neighborhoods.
The village is under a time crunch to find another tenant, or it risks losing half of its grant funding.
“Basically, for the first $200,000 we have about 60 days to find another brewery, or we will have to forfeit those funds,” Assistant Village Manager Natalie Dean said.
If the village loses the grant it can always reapply for it, she added.
The remainder of the funding, Dean said, is set to expire in early 2015.
The North Carolina Department of Commerce awarded the grants and has indicated the funds can be transferred to another brewpub. The approved grants don’t limit what type of business can go in the steam plant building, but the building’s owner does.
Pinehurst LLC, owner of Pinehurst Resort, owns the steam plant building and has indicated to the village that it is only interested in having a brewpub or a winery in the historic building, Wilkison said.
The village is now working with several entities, including Partners in Progress, to find a business to occupy the building.
Wilkison is optimistic the village will be able to find a tenant soon, considering the popularity of brewpubs in the region.
“This is a rapidly growing industry, especially in North Carolina,” Wilkison said. “And we are encouraged and have received a lot of good signs that we will be able to find someone who will be a great fit in that unique space.”
In addition to securing the grants, the village will also spend $252,000 to build a road that will eventually connect Magnolia Road with Dundee Road and serve as the east-west connector in Village Place. The money will also pay for off-street angled parking, brick sidewalks, street lighting and landscaping.
The project to renovate the steam plant, built the same year the Tufts family opened Pinehurst Resort, has been slowed by delays in getting the necessary approvals from regulatory agencies. But the loss of the prospective tenant happened quickly.
Ratkowski said the ultimate goal when the idea first of a move to Pinehurst first surfaced was to be open in time for the U.S. Opens in 2014. He said recent delays had begun to make that goal impossible.
“When we first talked about the move, we were planning to be open by now,” Ratkowski said. “In the last couple of months we knew this was a big project and if we didn’t get started soon, we knew there was really no way we were going to be able to be open for the U.S. Open.”
In early November, representatives from Railhouse Brewery told The Pilot they still had hopes of expanding their current operation and opening a microbrewery in the historic steam plant in Pinehurst prior to the consecutive Men’s and Women’s U.S. Opens in 2014. At the time, they said they were still waiting for funding from the bank.
Ratkowski and Evitts said then that they had secured financing to fund the majority of the project and that the project was “shovel ready” pending bank financing.
But the village learned a few days before Thanksgiving that the brewery was unable to get the money necessary to keep the project on track, Wilkison said.
“We wish Railhouse Brewery good luck,” Wilkison said. “And we appreciate their hard work to try to make this project happen.”
In Aberdeen, Railhouse recently signed a new three-year lease after deciding to take an additional 3,000 square feet of space next door to its existing location. The addition will nearly double the size of the brewery and allow the business to, among other things, open a full bar and a test kitchen.
“We are still a growing business,” Ratkowski said. “And now we are staying in Aberdeen.”
Contact Tom Embrey at (910) 693-2484 or tembrey@thepilot.com.
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Comments
Easygoing 5 months, 3 weeks ago
I would prefer that the elected officials and employees of the town focus on providing quality municipal services and keeping the taxes low rather than searching out brewerys and bars so they can spend another $300,000 to build a parking lot for a pub. They have no business being involved in this and the taxpayers and voters should stand up and tell them so.
AFCHIEF 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Would have preferred Railhouse but natty greenes from Greensboro would be good choice
tarheelborn 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Here is a REPRINT of my post from the previous story...
"""I think posting on the subject matter story has gotten a little off base...
@Easygoing. "When will the citizens wake up?" WE ARE AWAKE! It's the Mayor and other elected and appointed officials that are ASLEEP when we try Very Nicely to let them know what we do and DO NOT want to see in our Village! Just so everyone reading this post will know: The REAL reason these elected office holders are pushing for this Brewery, is the fact that THE (((RESORT))) is and has been losing (Alcohol Business) to other establishments like Darling House, Pinecrest Inn, DUGAN's Pub and the like, for WAY TOO LONG! They have decided to FLEX their POWER and MUSCLE, to see that THEY are regaining CONTROL of the VILLAGE CORE! You see it's ALWAYS about the MONEY! The Money is in the Sale of ALCOHOL, Folks!
tarheelborn 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Well, as we ALWAYS learn, "THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS"!
Like I said in my post from the other story... THE RESORT IS AND HAS BEEN LOSING MONEY FROM ALCOHOL SALES and WE ALL KNOW THE MONEY IS IN ALCOHOL SALES! ! !
The Resort needs to come up with another way to generate Revenue other than get the Village Governmental Body involved in such a CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE!
Toda 5 months, 3 weeks ago
As a former builder, one can't help but wonder how much asbestos is contained in that building?
tarheelborn 5 months, 3 weeks ago
@ Toda. I have witnessed A LOT of Asbestos! It's Crazy to waste all this money on a Stupid Notion the Village with The Resort needs to Enter the BEER BUSINESS! God how asinine! Elected officials and Village Employees have their Heads up their Backsides, when their Backsides need to be BRAZENED! ! ! If THEY had to WORK for the MONEY, THEY are WASTING from US TAX PAYERS, then they would actually THINK. Then again, I don't know if they are even capable of such a function!
Middleman522 5 months, 3 weeks ago
The village needs a new tourist friendly attitude if it wants to attract hospitality business other than Pinehurst. I think that passenger open container laws would help for package golfers. I think a cheap shuttle between the village and motels, Village Acres, and Pinehurst's club neighborhoods would help a lot as well. They have lot's of busses sitting empty most of the time that could be making money. Southern Pines has all kinds of bar business, reasonable police, and very few problems. I'm just sayin!
tarheelborn 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Middleman522. You are Exactly Correct in EVERYTHING you have suggested. BUT, you have to remember my previous post. It is "SPECIAL INTEREST" pulling the strings here. It's the RESORT and the VILLAGE of PINEHURST, which are In Bed Together... Always have been and Always WILL BE! That is a Given and is really OK, if they would run a CLEAN Operation! We have Bob Jr. , which owns the Resort, Oops, let me rephrase that, HIS MOTHER Still Controls the Resort. BUT, he fly's in here once in a while just to check on things or bring potential clients here. He does have a fond place in his heart for Pinehurst, because his Dad would bring him here as a child and I have been many times with them, when he was still wet behind the ears (so to speak)... I knew Bob Sr. and he was ruthless (when he needed to be)... But, getting back to the subject matter. The Village STILL NEEDS TO STAY OUT OF THE BEER AND WINE BUSINESS! ! ! Also the Village EMPLOYEES such as Ms. Dean and Mr. Wilkerson serve at the pleasure of the Board, AND THE CITIZENS! Ms. MAYOR and COUNCIL Members. Be advised you are only given a short time to PROVE yourself... If you Screw up your First Go Around, don't look to stay on in ANY OTHER Capacity! I say that to stay in the minds of you all.... Stop trying to CHANGE OUR VILLAGE, SO YOU CAN SAY, ((("" I ""))) DID THAT WHILE I WAS ELECTED to Office!
Thatcher 5 months, 3 weeks ago
I love capital letters. Cheers!
TooHot 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Wow - tarheelborn - you're totally forgetting that, without the Resort, this area is nothing but another PoDunk
Courseaire 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Pinehurst only exist because of the Resort: The Village of Pinehurst, located in an area known as "the Sandhills" in Moore County, is in south central North Carolina. Although it was established in 1895, the Village did not become a municipality until 1980.
James Walker Tufts, a resident of the Boston area, had amassed a considerable fortune as head of various enterprises, most notably the American Soda Fountain Company. In 1895, he made an arrangement to purchase about 598 acres of land for about $1.25 per acre to create a health resort in the Sandhills.
Mr. Tufts wanted a "first rate" plan for his new resort and contacted a land planning firm in Brookline, Massachusetts that was headed by Frederick Law Olmstead, designer of Central Park in New York City and the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. In about three weeks time, the plan for the Village of Pinehurst was formed. Mr. Tufts then hired Donald Ross in 1900 to be responsible for development of golf.
PS: Even MC7's stopped using CAPS.
ncsnafu1 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Anyone think that the Pinehurst Village Council will wake up to the possibilty that Mr. Ratkowski played them against his current landlord in order to lease the additional space he recently obtained??
packwilleat 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Middleman ~ passenger open container laws are pretty slack when your on the resort shuttle(the hand that feeds). I just got back from New Orleans, and would love to see the village as liberated as it is in The Big Easy. We were able to walk around with drinks in hand everywhere and anywhere, byob to restaurants that did not serve alcohol, and passengers could have open containers. Most of all there were taxicabs everywhere. And they had meters, not make up a price depending on how many are in the cab. I've seen these guys around here charge a single from the village to SP anywhere between $5-$20. I've called cabs for many of locals and tourist here in the village and I would have to say 75% of them say "No thank you, I'm not spending $20 to get home." Every independent business is scared sh*#less that ALE will come shut them down, but then again the resort is alowed to skate free. Money is power. On another note...... why the resort wants to keep it's membership confined to the Village is beyond me???? Get some members from Cali that pay the same dues but only come vist once or twice a year. Stupid is as stupid does I guess.
JD 5 months, 3 weeks ago
How did it work out the last time Pinehurst had a beer company? Oh right...
ncsnafu1 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Does ANYONE in Pinehurst realize that we now have an Assistant Village Manager, @ about $100K per year, now looking for an unnecessary bar to go into the old steam plant? Further, does anyone realize that when you consider the cost of the new central maintenance facility being planned plus the cost of the infrastructure required for the area, that you come up with a total cost of $7-8 M dollars of tax revenue that the Village Council is willing to spend to develop the NEW Core/Place/Name-of-the-day area? Looks like the council is reading the Washington, DC playbook on spending.
coffecreme 5 months, 3 weeks ago
i am thinking that there is not enough volume for cabs to have meters.
ncsnafu1 5 months, 3 weeks ago
@coffecreme: Additional parking for cabs & tour buses will be on Village Green which the council and planning dept. now consider to be a "Government Building" in order to get around the impervious surface criteria the Green now has. Currently, 12% impervious cover is permitted, however, with the new creative interpretation, 70% or approximately 4.9 acres can be paved. This change in thinking was necessary due to the new planned lot exceeding the 12% limit. Don't be surprised to see that doors are added to the new paved lot entrances to make it appear to be more of a building the council views it as.
packwilleat 5 months, 3 weeks ago
Ncsnafu1 ~ I don't believe Mike and Brian would have pulled their hair out for as long as the did just to con over their landlord. The time and effort doesn't justify the means.
alladat1 5 months, 3 weeks ago
"The village had obtained $400,000 in federal and state grants to help Aberdeen-based Railhouse Brewery renovate the 1895 building. - Is this the best way to create jobs?