Odell Brewing Company Construction & The Beer Triangle

As you may or may not know, Odell Brewing Company is in the midst of a very ambitious expansion. Earlier this summer they began construction on a project that will double their physical size, add much needed office space, expand visitor parking, and move the guest entrance from the east side of the building to the west side. I recently ran across some new renderings of the project so on Tuesday, August 25th I took some construction photos while driving by.

The Renderings:






The Construction:




This is a very exciting project for downtown Fort Collins. The potential for the beer triangle to develop into a unique tourist destination is there. Over 100,000 people visit New Belgium every year, alone. Roughly the same amount visit the AB Brewery on the north side of town.

Fort Collins Brewery is set to break ground this fall on their new brewery and restaurant just down the road from Odell, at the corner of Lincoln & Lemay Avenue. They were supposed to break ground earlier this summer but the tough economic climate has delayed their project a bit. On September 1st the Fort Collins city council will consider a proposal to delay the collection of approximately $85,000 in street oversizing capital expansion fees for one year. This small amount of relief will make it possible for FCB to break ground on their new location sooner rather than latter. I applaud the city council for taking this proactive approach that will help reinforce our brewing industry.

Very soon a new local brewery will be joining the scene. Horsetooth Brewing Company was recently highlighted in a Coloradoan article. The new brewery is on the hunt for site in the downtown area to call home. I can’t wait to try their line of beers that will include three flagship brews: Old Town Kolsch Style Ale, a lightly hopped Kolsch style ale; Cache la Porter, an English porter with some chocolate character; and Stimulator Pale Ale, a rye pale ale. You can find more information on the Horsetooth Brewing Company at horsetoothbrewing.com.

Construction Update

Earlier this summer I posted about the Bohemian Companies new HQ. The building known as the Mitchell Block is under construction at the corner of Mountain Avenue & Walnut Street and is expected to be finished sometime in October. I’m very pleased with the progress so far and I am very excited to see what will occupy the bottom floor of the building. In all likelihood it will be another restaurant. Here are some updated construction photos from this past Tuesday:

From Mountain Avenue:




The "flatiron" corner at Mountain Avenue & Walnut Street intersection:



And from Walnut Street:

New West Fest 2009

The 21st annual Fort Collins New West Fest will be held August 15 & 16, 2009 in Historic Old Town Fort Collins. This FREE weekend showcases over 300 arts, crafts and food booths, Kids' World, a carnival for those young at heart, two beer gardens, and seven stages of continuous entertainment highlighting Northern Colorado's wonderfully talented artists. The festival is host to Bohemian Nights, an impressive musical lineup throughout the weekend with over 50 performers including Grammy award winning artist MELISSA ETHERIDGE & Latin Grammy award winning artist OZOMATLI. As usual local favorites, TICKLE ME PINK will also be there LIVE. So go enjoy the music, have a beer, and support your local companies. More information can be found at the festivals website BohemianNights.org or at DowntownFortCollins.com

A Map of the festival's location: