Post Street brewery approved by City Council
The Post-Modern Brewery project was approved last month by the City Council and final plans are being drawn up to renovate the long-vacant building into a craft brewery.
Home brewers Andrew Suslak and Brandon Merkle, owners of the property at 2951 Post Street, hope to open the brewery and taproom next spring.
The 1,400-square-foot building, built in 1935, was once part of a chain of Pure Oil gas stations before being turned into the Purple Petunia, a flower shop, which went out of business 20 years ago.
Jack Shad, agent for the owners, said the building needs to be completely gutted.
“It still has a fuse box and it’s never had central heat or air,” he said. “They’re going to have to replace the wiring and plumbing. It’s going to take a while.”
But when the brewery opens it will have 64 seats with 24 outside. Nearby residents asked that outdoor sales be stopped by 10 p.m. and that there be no amplified music outdoors, which the owners agreed to.
“We worked closely with RAP and addressed almost all their concerns. The neighborhood was very supportive and it was approved unanimously by the Land Use and Zoning Committee and the City Council,” Shad said.
“This is a tough time for craft breweries. The hope is that by the time they finish up we’re in a better situation regarding being completely open,” he said.
Craft breweries around Florida have been closed except for take-out since June 26 when the state banned on-site consumption of alcohol because of the coronavirus. They have been fighting the closure, which does not apply to bars that serve food, but Gov. Ron DeSantis has stood firm on the decision.
Several Jacksonville craft brewers predicted that if the ban stays in place much longer, a number of breweries will go out of business.
By Lilla Ross
Resident community News
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