The bland, gray cinder block of a building building at Southwest Fourth and J Streets may soon transform into a gem of the Madras skyline.
The owners of Initiative Brewing plan to take their brewing operation to Madras, turning what was the Jefferson County Public Health offices into a family-friendly brewpub.
The design adds dimension to the skyline with a glassed-in second story to house brewing equipment.
"We're excited to be on the ground floor of something big," said Chris Brumley, who co-owns Initiative Brewing with his partner Ryan Churchill. "We think Madras is the next town in the area to take off."
The Initiative proposal solves two problems facing the city and the county. The county has a buyer for an eyesore of a building. The city of Madras has long been looking to add a brewpub to the downtown mix.
Initiative opened its Redmond location in 2019. They plan to move the brewing operation to Madras along with a commercial kitchen, a tasting room, indoor dining, and a family friendly/pet friendly patio with fire pits. A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
"It's a one-stop shopping family experience where you can get a pint of beer, and quality, conscientiously made food," said Brumley. The partners take pride in locally sourcing their food and providing alternatives for customers with food allergies.
Brumley and Churchill have spent almost a year on this project and are on the verge of pulling all the financing together to make it happen.
At its June 28 meeting, the Madras City Council voted to grant Initiative $100,000 of America Rescue Plan Act funds as stimulus for projects that bring jobs and business to the city. Brumley and Churchill expect to hire about 47 people at the Madras location.
"My opinion is that the health building is really ugly," said Councilor Gary Walker. "That would be a really nice improvement and it might bring more young working people to the area." A D V E R T I S I N G | Continue reading below
"Madras would have a go-to place for people traveling. We don't have a lot of that," said Councilor Lamar Yoder. "Some people will stop in Madras for specifically that reason."
The partners estimate the project cost at $1.55 million. They're renting from the county until they pull together the full funding package.
If everything comes together they hope to begin construction this fall with completion sometime in fall or winter of 2023.
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