The former Richmond Association of Masonic Lodges building is set to be reborn as a brewery in Church Hill if the City Council approves a special-use permit. (Mike Platania photo)
Church Hill is a step closer to getting its first brewery.
The city’s Planning Commission on Monday recommended granting a special-use permit for Trapezium Brewing Co.’s planned taproom in the former Richmond Association of Masonic Lodges building at 520 N. 25th St.
The Petersburg-based brewery bought the property last year for $950,000 and began planning to convert it into a satellite location called “93 By Trapezium.”
The property’s zoning allows for a brewery of up to 1,500 square feet, and Trapezium owner Dave McCormack said the special-use permit is needed to have the taproom space be a bit larger.
“I know a lot of people are nervous because it appears to be a very big building — from the street it’s 13,000 square feet — but the reality of the situation is… we’re only expanding the usable square footage by about 650 square feet on the first floor,” McCormack said.
“It’s not that big of a change we’re trying to make, we’re just trying to make the building fully usable, versus partially usable.”
Plans also include a 2,600-square-foot event space on the second floor and a roughly 1,500-square-foot outdoor seating area. McCormack said most of the square footage is taken up by things like the building’s basement, bathrooms, stair tower and kitchen.
Some Church Hill residents spoke against recommending the special-use permit, citing concerns about parking.
“I do sympathize with those folks — and I’m certainly one in my neighborhood, we’re all constrained by parking — but also there’s a bigger thing at play here,” McCormack said in an interview after the meeting. “I see a lot of cities that people are thinking about as cities of the future, and they don’t really have consideration for parking.”
He added, “It’s more about planning around public transportation and ride sharing and all kinds of stuff. The really thoughtful planners of the future are not really thinking about cars all that much.”
The special-use permit application is now headed to the City Council, which is scheduled to vote on the matter at its April 26 meeting. If that approval is granted, McCormack said they’ll begin working on the brewery right away and plan a late fall opening.
“All (the construction) we’re doing right now is working on the shell. We’re at a point now where we’re getting ready to do the upfit and we’re just waiting on the final decision,” he said.
The Planning Commission was also scheduled to vote on a rezoning application for the half-acre parking lot at 1801 E. Main St. in Shockoe Bottom, however that matter was continued to the commission’s May 17 meeting.
The property sold to a mystery buyer for $2 million last fall, and though precise plans for the land are unclear, the property owner’s attorney, Hirschler’s Robert Benaicha, wrote in the application that rezoning the parcel presents a chance to turn an “unproductive surface parking lot into a higher density, mixed-use building with an active ground floor that focuses on completing the walkable, visually-active streetscapes of Shockoe Bottom.”
Also scheduled to be heard at the Planning Commission’s May 17 meeting is Movieland’s request to turn its parking lot into a drive-in theater. The parking lot is adjacent to where The Cordish Cos. are vying to build a resort casino.
The former Richmond Association of Masonic Lodges building is set to be reborn as a brewery in Church Hill if the City Council approves a special-use permit. (Mike Platania photo)
Church Hill is a step closer to getting its first brewery.
The city’s Planning Commission on Monday recommended granting a special-use permit for Trapezium Brewing Co.’s planned taproom in the former Richmond Association of Masonic Lodges building at 520 N. 25th St.
The Petersburg-based brewery bought the property last year for $950,000 and began planning to convert it into a satellite location called “93 By Trapezium.”
The property’s zoning allows for a brewery of up to 1,500 square feet, and Trapezium owner Dave McCormack said the special-use permit is needed to have the taproom space be a bit larger.
“I know a lot of people are nervous because it appears to be a very big building — from the street it’s 13,000 square feet — but the reality of the situation is… we’re only expanding the usable square footage by about 650 square feet on the first floor,” McCormack said.
“It’s not that big of a change we’re trying to make, we’re just trying to make the building fully usable, versus partially usable.”
Plans also include a 2,600-square-foot event space on the second floor and a roughly 1,500-square-foot outdoor seating area. McCormack said most of the square footage is taken up by things like the building’s basement, bathrooms, stair tower and kitchen.
Some Church Hill residents spoke against recommending the special-use permit, citing concerns about parking.
“I do sympathize with those folks — and I’m certainly one in my neighborhood, we’re all constrained by parking — but also there’s a bigger thing at play here,” McCormack said in an interview after the meeting. “I see a lot of cities that people are thinking about as cities of the future, and they don’t really have consideration for parking.”
He added, “It’s more about planning around public transportation and ride sharing and all kinds of stuff. The really thoughtful planners of the future are not really thinking about cars all that much.”
The special-use permit application is now headed to the City Council, which is scheduled to vote on the matter at its April 26 meeting. If that approval is granted, McCormack said they’ll begin working on the brewery right away and plan a late fall opening.
“All (the construction) we’re doing right now is working on the shell. We’re at a point now where we’re getting ready to do the upfit and we’re just waiting on the final decision,” he said.
The Planning Commission was also scheduled to vote on a rezoning application for the half-acre parking lot at 1801 E. Main St. in Shockoe Bottom, however that matter was continued to the commission’s May 17 meeting.
The property sold to a mystery buyer for $2 million last fall, and though precise plans for the land are unclear, the property owner’s attorney, Hirschler’s Robert Benaicha, wrote in the application that rezoning the parcel presents a chance to turn an “unproductive surface parking lot into a higher density, mixed-use building with an active ground floor that focuses on completing the walkable, visually-active streetscapes of Shockoe Bottom.”
Also scheduled to be heard at the Planning Commission’s May 17 meeting is Movieland’s request to turn its parking lot into a drive-in theater. The parking lot is adjacent to where The Cordish Cos. are vying to build a resort casino.
This looks like a great project. The parking people need to move to Hanover already. A city is not about parking
Craft brewery crowds aren’t so massive that parking will be negatively impacted. This corridor needs development and a craft brewery fits the neighborhood character. A win for Church Hill.
Yeah, I’d second that. Church hill needs more non-residential things in general, and this has the double benefit of being an amenity for many people.
I second McCormack’s point about parking. Richmond needs to and slowly is moving toward a less car-centric vision of the city, and Richmond will be more vibrant and livable the less we prioritize parking and car traffic. For so many reasons we need to make transit, biking, and walking ever better options for Richmonders.
Well, I can see areas where you are technically correct about this, but what I would really like to see is more BIKE infrastructure in Richmond and less TALK about the same — I mean REAL, connected infrastructure where even the elderly would feel safe — this kind of infrastructure is the BEST kind because there are benefits to ALL, including cleaner air and more fit residents who tend to be more positive neighbors and coworkers.
Many of my Church Hill neighbors have alley access to the rear of their property but have no interest in sacrificing any of their backyard for off-street parking. Then they try to block new development over hypothetical scarcity of street parking. Very disappointing. And when electric cars are a thing what is their plan then? Are they just going to run extension cords out to the street?
FWIW, widespread adoption of electric cars will likely prompt the installation of small curbside charging stations adjacent on street parking. There are a variety of things like this being tried out already. I wouldn’t be surprised if chargers ultimately get integrated into lamp posts, installed on telephone poles, or something similar
Just my 2 cents, but i bet that electric cars andself driving cars will both gain in popularity. So you’ll have a self driving car drop you off, then go a few miles away to an out fo the way charging station. No parking space on any valuable real esate, and cars retuned to you in the morng fully charged.
Don’t count your self-driving cars before they are permitted….
It’s coming.
The real intresting thing will be when police forces in places like Windsor have to justify pulling over one type of driver and not anther type of driver when both sets of people are in self driving cars.
DM’s vision about future parking needs is one version, but I have an even more likely version — once an area becomes highly desirable to visit, it becomes highly desirable to LIVE IN as well, and property values go up — as residents become unhappy with parking, the revenues available for PARKING GARAGES go up! These can be as beautiful or ugly as one wishes. I just used a very attractive one in downtown Lexington (VA) last week. I DO wish that more downtowns would build these instead of catering to those who are trying to force the Future on… Read more »
Access on a bike from the Northside via the greenway trail up to the brewery is already a thing and is a breeze – in the warmer months! Looking forward to this happening. It will be a great addition to my old CH stomping ground.