Cincinnati-based PLK Communities announced that renowned Asheville, N.C., brewery Hi-Wire Brewing, will open a brewery and taproom at Factory 52, PLK’s 20-acre redevelopment on the former site of the US Playing Card factory in Norwood. Construction of Hi-Wire Brewing Cincinnati will begin immediately, and it will open to the public in fall 2022.
“We are thrilled to have Hi-Wire Brewing sign on to be part of Factory 52,” said Nick Lingenfelter, Vice President of Development at PLK Communities. “We knew that working with a top-tier brewery who could compete with the best of our region would be critical to revitalizing the former US Playing Card Facility into a first-class destination.”
Since its founding in Asheville, NC in 2013, Hi-Wire Brewing has garnered numerous awards and accolades, including three Gold Awards at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), World Beer Cups and PASTE magazine awards. They already feature local taprooms throughout North Carolina (Asheville, Durham, Wilmington, Charlotte) and in Knoxville, TN, and Louisville, KY.
Why this location? Factory 52 will be Hi-Wire’s first Ohio location and was particularly attractive not only for its strategic distribution convenience across nine states, but also for PLK’s commitment to adaptive reuse. “We have had a lot of success in other markets when we purposefully partner with developers that are already committed to reuse,” said Chris Frosaker, Hi-Wire co-owner. “We primarily seek campus-style locations in neighborhoods that are up-and-coming; so Factory 52 is just a great fit for our organization.”
The impressive Factory 52 campus will feature the Hi-Wire Brewing taproom alongside a food hall, boutique retail shops, residences, a dog park, the newly-announced Aces Pickleball complex, and a grand public courtyard. Situated in the campus’s Amenity Building, this location will be a unique addition to the brewery’s set of nine taprooms being the first to feature a multi-level design.
The 5800-square-foot primary space will fill the building’s first floor and feature a bar with twenty-four taps and a large outdoor patio, while a twelve-tap secondary bar and 3780-square-foot rooftop deck overlooking the entire property will occupy the third floor. In Hi-Wire’s mission to create taprooms that cultivate community and inspire fun, the Cincinnati location will feature walls covered in vibrant murals, an assortment of family-friendly games including soccer pool, table tennis, and foosball, and a rotating selection of Hi-Wire Brewing’s own beer including year-round offerings, seasonals, specialties, sour and wild ales, one-offs, and undistributed releases.
Lingenfelter added that Hi-Wire’s innovative thinking, willingness to try new things, and clear appreciation for sustainability and urban renewal are just what PLK seeks in all tenant partners to fulfill its long-term vision for the development.
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