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Commission Approves Site Plans For Brewery, Jackson Center Projects

A conceptual drawing of what the Jamestown Brewing Company will look like when it opens this summer.

The site plan for the new brewery and restaurant that will be located in downtown Jamestown has been approved.

On Tuesday, the city Planning Commission approved the site plan for the Jamestown Brewing Company, which will be located at 119 W. Third St., the former location of the Lillian V. Ney Renaissance Center. David Misenheimer, LaBella Associates project architect, told the commission there will be parking in the back and along the alley east of the business. He also said they will be removing the store front of the former Grants Department Store to install the brewing tanks and then constructing a new store front.

Misenheimer said the brewing will be done in the basement, with a section of the first floor removed so patrons can see into the lower level to see the beer making process from the restaurant and bar area. The business will also include a mezzanine and banquet area.

The state Historic Preservation Office has approved the project, Misenheimer said. Greg Lindquist, GPatti Development vice president, said their approval was needed because the building is located in Jamestown Downtown Historic District and the project is receiving historic tax credits to assist in funding the project.

Along with the site plan, the commission also approved the environmental assessment and historic preservation forms.

The Jamestown Brewing Company is slated to open before the grand opening of the National Comedy Center during the Lucy Comedy Fest, which starts Aug. 1. The father and son team of Jon McLellan and Jon McLellan II, along with GPatti Development, are the project leaders.

As a way of meeting the community, the McLellans will be hosting “A Tasting in the Alley” event adjacent to the business at noon Saturday, May 5. The event is free to the public, with three Jamestown Brewing Company beers — porter, blonde ale, and red rye IPA — to taste. For more information and to RSVP for the event, visit Jamestown Brewing Company’s Facebook page.

In March, McLellan II told The Post-Journal the restaurant will seat around 300 people, with 168 available on the mezzanine and 124 accessible on the first floor. There will also be a third floor banquet room, which can fit a large group of around 300 or can be retrofitted for smaller occasions. He said there will be a lounge area, with pub and booth seating available in the bar and restaurant area on the first floor. Also, the south wall of the upper floor will be replaced by windows so people can see what is happening at the National Comedy Center. He added in future years, they want to be able to offer customers outdoor seating and rooftop access.

In March, Lindquist said they officially acquired the property from the Gebbie Foundation in July, which is when exterior and interior renovation work started on the building. He said the total restoration project will cost around $4 million, which includes purchasing the building. The creation of the brewery and restaurant work is costing around $1.1 million.

The project received $830,000 through the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The renovation project also received a $475,000 state Main Street grant, around $200,000 from city officials in Community Development Block Grant funding for facade enhancements and Americans With Disabilities Act improvements, $180,000 through a Jamestown Local Development Corporation loan, $100,000 from the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency and $50,000 from the Greater Jamestown Zone Capital Corporation.

In other Planning Commission business, the group also approved the site plan to the Robert H. Jackson Center renovations. Bob Nordin and Clark Patterson Lee, architect, presented the plans for the renovations that will include a new entrance stairs and handicap ramp. The project will also include an addition of 500 square feet to enhance the interior vestibule entrance.

Nordin said the project will include the installation of one handicap parking space. Currently, there aren’t any handicap parking spaces in the center’s parking lot. The project will also include new railings, new concrete sidewalk, curbing and parking enhancements.

Because the center is located in Jamestown Downtown Historic District, the project has been approved by the state Historic Preservation Office.

Other renovation project improvements includes a new sound buffering shed that will be constructed outside the emergency exit to the center’s theater to dampen the sound from vehicle and pedestrian traffic along East Fifth Street. A new backstage area will also be created to provide adequate space for presenters and performers before theater events.

The renovations will also improve interoffice efficiency because they will be able to house the center’s entire staff upstairs after the project is completed. Currently, some of the staff works on the first floor while others are on the second floor. There will also be the installation of a small kitchen for the staff and for the conference room upstairs, which can be rented by organizations for meetings.

An unorthodox feature to the center’s second floor is a split-level northern section. Currently, there is a small apartment on the lower level while a library sits atop. The renovation project will level this space so there is just one level on the second floor. The area will be turned into a library space that visiting professors or interns can use.

The rehabilitation project will also include installing an elevator. This will allow for the building to be more handicapped accessible. Currently, there is no American With Disabilities Act accessibility to the second floor. The elevator will also make it easier to move items in and out of basement storage.

A new air conditioning system will also be installed to make the center more comfortable during the summer months.

In March, Susan Murphy, Jackson Center president and chief executive officer, said the renovations will start once the State Environmental Quality Review is completed. She said because of the historic nature of the building located in the Jamestown Historic District, the SEQR process is longer than normal.

On Tuesday, the Planning Commission also approved the state environmental assessment and historic preservation forms.

The center’s $1.5 million renovation project is being funded by the Downtown Revitalization Initiative program.

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