TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A team is making progress toward preserving Capital City history. They are reimagining the historical waterworks building in Tallahassee.
We first took you inside this project about a year ago. Tallahassee’s Waterworks Building has stood along East Gaines Street for decades.
The walls date back to the early 1900s. Now, a four-family team known as Amicus Brewing Ventures is working to bring new business to the complex.
“A lot of progress has been made,” said Alison Denny. She is managing partner of the project. “We are 75 percent done with construction now. We have put it all new windows and doors. We’re working all new electrical, mechanical, plumbing. We’ve raised the floors.”
Denny and her team have found some surprises along the way. “We found out that the water works building had no water,” Denny said. They had to install new water mains. That water will help them brew all new beer once this operation is up and running. Since they’re doing most of the work themselves, supply chain and labor shortages haven’t been much of an issue.
“It’s been a blast,” added Sheldon Steen. He is the head brewer. “Getting to come down to this space and to be able to help bring it back to life has been so much fun. Every time we walk in it’s like a whole new space.”
The massive tanks that help make the beer were shipped in from Nebraska. Twelve taps will go in to serve the beers they make. The timbers on the bar came from the original building.
“We are for families,” shared project partner, Laura Barrett. “We definitely want the family friendly experience. We’re right next to Cascade Park which of course draws a lot of families.”
Mary Steen has been working with the group through the warm weather and rough conditions to get the buildings ready. She said, “thankfully we’ve had some beautiful, rare cool mornings for this time of year, but it does. It gets really sweaty and very fun and also you know, test us sometimes too.”
Denny said they’re shooting for a late-August opening.
