Andover, MA – If the walls could talk at the historic Riverbend Mill, they would tell a whole lot of stories about the variety of industries that have worked there: timber, cotton, wool, linen, flax yarn and much more. Now, the 209-year-old mill site welcomes another historic trade that dates back thousands of years, as far as the Mesopotamians — brewing.
Oak & Iron Brewing Co. will be the first tenant at Riverbend Mill, but the owners aren’t going far back in the history books to look for a partner to retrofit it for their needs. West Bridgewater-based Haynes Group, Inc. — the contractor that started renovating the historic property in August for Dundee Redspring LLC, the building’s owner, and Ozzy Properties, the property managers — was picked this week to complete the work for the brewery.
Oak & Iron Brewing Co. is a small yet mighty American craft brewery based in Andover, MA brewing artisanal batches of New England-inspired seasonals and time-honored classics. Co-founders Jim Cass and John Helferich, former colleagues and longtime friends, have brought a background including sales, marketing, research and development and management to bring their brewery to Andover.
“We dreamed of creating flavorful, handcrafted beers and a great social experience for the people in our community,” said Cass.
The pair — who fashioned the brand after New England’s independent, innovative, rugged spirit — will be doing more than just brewing the beer on site. Seeking a community atmosphere, a taproom will offer in-house tastings as well as take-home growlers. Limited snacks will be available, and guests are welcome to bring their own food on days when food trucks aren’t available for them.
Patrick Andrews, Haynes’ project manager who will be overseeing the work, said, “We are excited to be part of the fast growing microbrewery market. Based on our experience, we can handle the high level of detail that the breweries require.” Construction is expected to be completed by early March 2017.
The Riverbend Mill structure, which has been completely gutted and repositioned to accommodate the modern tenant, offers nearly 20,000 square feet of space along 950 feet of frontage on the Shawsheen River in Andover, MA. The building boasts a classic red brick exterior, granite sills, post and beam construction with lofty exposed ceilings, oversized windows and, most notably, expansive river views.
As far as location goes, the old Abbot Mill building is in the center of Andover, within easy walking distance of the historic downtown shopping area and commuter rail station. In addition, the owners are also the developers of the Dundee Park Office complex directly across the Shawsheen River allowing for contiguous access to this commercial complex. Plans are being developed to include a pedestrian bridge across this river to enable customers and clients to easily travel back and forth.
Haynes Group, Inc. is a family-owned, full-service commercial construction company based in Massachusetts. Our highly personalized process for construction and construction management provide a Complete Solution for Commercial Construction and Tenant Improvement projects. We have experience in working effectively with and delivering value to brokers, architects, owners, developers, bankers, landlords, and tenants. Our services and solutions have delivered successful results for commercial clients. We understand the balance required to Plan, Execute, and Deliver on all size projects while providing the same level of service for all stakeholders.