Brooklyn Brewery is planning to construct a $80m craft beer plant at the Stewart Industrial Park near Newburgh, Orange County, US.
Commissioners of the Port Authority are expected to give their final approval for a 60 year lease of 18.9 acres of vacant land to the company for an aggregate ground rent of $30m.
After leasing the land, the company has plans to construct a 250,000 ft2 building which could be expanded by another 100,000 ft2. Apart from having a refinery and a warehouse, the construction plan could have a visitors’ place and a retail centre as well.
Brooklyn Brewery, which was established in the 1980s, has introduced two beers, Brooklyn Lager and Brooklyn Brown Ale.
The brewery has been operating from Williamsburg in Brooklyn and as of 2014, it produces about 80,000 barrels per year and 130,000 barrels a year through a contract plant in Utica.
For quite some time now, Brooklyn Brewery has been looking out for a location near New York. It was eyeing a location in Staten Island.
The company plans to establish its brewing site after securing all the approvals at the industrial park.
Once, approved, the lease agreement could come into effect from April, next year and rent would be payable once the company occupies the building or within a maximum of three years.
At present, Brooklyn Brewery has 60 days to complete geotechnical tests on the site which was never developed and to withdraw from the commitment, if it is not satisfied.
Since 2014, the company has been receiving grants and tax credits amounting to $7.5m towards building a facility in Staten Island, but this amount is project-specific rather than site-specific.
