Orono Brewing to create 'brewery growth' hub
Courtesy / Orono Brewing Co.
From left, Mark Horton, Abe Furth, Heather Furth and Asa Marsh-Sachs, co-owners of Orono Brewing Co., enthusiastically endorse the vacant industrial space where they hope to open the Orono Industrial Building for Brewery Growth and Community Arts and Activity Hub.
Orono Brewing Co. said Monday it will develop a 10,000-square-foot space that’s been vacant for four years.
The brewery said, if approved by the town, it will open the Orono Industrial Building for Brewery Growth and Community Arts and Activity Hub at 61 Margin St. Total investment, including purchase price and outfitting, is expected to be $600,000, co-owner Abe Furth told Mainebiz.
The additional space will allow for added brewing capacity, but remaining space will be leased to artists as co-making creative space, the company said. The brewery expects to produce 700 barrels this year, but the new space would eventually allow capacity to grow to up to 6,000 barrels, Furth said.
Asa Marsh-Sachs, Heather Furth, Mark Horton and Abe Furth, co-owners of the brewery, “are committed to developing the vacant building into a vital part of the Orono community,” the company said in a press release Monday.
Orono is the home to the flagship campus of the University of Maine, and to three breweries: Orono Brewing, Black Bear and Marsh Island. Orono Brewing Co. has a site at 20 Main St.
Orono Brewing opened Dec. 31, 2014. Last year, it added a location in downtown Bangor, at 26 State St.
"We're so excited for this opportunity. We love the building, and we're looking forward to growing to meet the immediate demand for our beer, and to have excess space for the future needs of OBC,” said Marsh-Sachs, who is brewmaster.
The plan must be approved by town officials.
If approved, the building needs to be stabilized before construction of the brewery, tasting room and co-making space. The space had been used by Lane Construction for rock crushing and general paving-and-construction work.
“We have a lot to do, and we're looking forward to it. The building needs a new roof, extensive repointing of the masonry, demolition and repairs inside, painting and sealing outside and, overall, a lot of attention. We've decided to make this commitment to Orono, and we can't wait to turn this building around! We're confident that we can make this a vital new part of the Orono experience,” said Heather Furth.
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