It doesn’t yet have a name and its owner-operator has not yet been revealed, but there will be a brewpub in Hudson Walk Two, the latest building to come out of the ground in the Hudson District.
Townline, the developers behind the reinvention of the former Hudson’s Bay department store site, have confirmed they are customizing nearly 5,000 square feet of space on the ground floor of the mixed-use building to suit a local publican planning to branch out into brewing.
Townline director of development Justin Filuk said the company is investing heavily in the project as it adds life, a destination and a great amenity for the neighbourhood.
“We want to show that we are diligent landlords and property owners and that we are committed to making it a success,” he said.
Filuk said they are negotiating the lease, and the name of the pub and pub owner will be released at a later date.
If rezoning and permitting go smoothly the pub could be open in 2018.
The pub will face Blanshard Street, across from Save on Foods Memorial Centre, and feature a small patio. Filuk said like many new brewpubs being established in Vancouver, the brewery’s operations will feature as a highly visible component of the space.
Filuk said a brewpub is the ideal tenant for the space and will be the right addition to the retail mix of the district.
“All along we have been concerned about how challenged that retail space would be,” he said, noting they expect it will become a destination people seek out. “We don’t expect to get a lot of drive-by traffic, but there will be people seeking the place out or going before an event at the arena, and a lot of offices around here are excited about another place to go for lunch or after work for drinks.”
It will also likely become the local for what Townline expects will be the 2,000 residents living in the 900 units the Hudson District will eventually have when construction is complete.
Townline started exploring the possibility of a brewery or brewpub for the area in 2015 after it was approached by a local brewer who wanted to install a brewery in the Hudson building, Townline’s first project.
That idea didn’t fly but Townline liked the idea for one of its later buildings. Since the renovation of the Hudson, the company has completed Hudson Mews and Hudson Walk One, and Hudson Walk Two is expected to be complete this summer.
Before the brewpub is a reality the company needs to rezone the space to allow manufacturing.
Filuk said with the pub, retail space in the district is coming together nicely.
“The market has started to evolve into what it was intended to be, we have new tenants moving in there and we had a very strong Christmas season ... and we’re getting more queries about our future retail (offerings),” he said.
Filuk said they are still hoping to see more services like a drug store, bank and drycleaner come into the area.
“Just so that it becomes more of a complete neighbourhood,” he said.
Townline recently demolished the parking structure on the 1700 block of Blanshard Street to make way for the next phase of development, Hudson Place.
Townline had at one point considered one large tower on the site, but is now leaning to its original plan for two buildings built in two phases similar to the Hudson Walk projects.
