Starr Hill Brewery, one of the largest producers of craft beer in the state of Virginia, plans to open a new location in 2017.
The new space, a collaborative venture with global real estate developer The Cordish Companies, will be located at the “Waterside District” marketplace currently under construction in Norfolk, VA.
Cordish Companies first announced its plan to incorporate craft beer and a prominent craft brewery into the plans during a ceremonial ground-breaking in August, but didn’t unveil Starr Hill as its official partner until last week.
“When we name the craft brewery, it will be known to everybody in Virginia because it’s a very famous group,” David Cordish, the CEO of The Cordish Companies, said during the August ceremony.
Jack Goodall, Starr Hill’s marketing manager, told Brewbound that while the company is involved in the new project, it is not yet sure exactly what the new space will look like.
“[We’re] still ironing out a lot of the details,” he said.
While vague about the details of the new venture, Goodall did imply that Starr Hill would be the exclusive brewery partner.
“If there is any brewing involved, that will be Starr Hill,” he said.
The new Waterside District replaces Norfolk’s former Waterside Festival Marketplace, which the city sold to Cordish Companies in November 2014. The space will be centered around a 30,000 sq. ft. area called “The Marketplace,” featuring Starr Hill and other local businesses. Cordish has built similar mixed-use developments in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Baltimore, and several other U.S. cities, it said in a press statement.
The announcement comes at the end of busy year for Starr Hill Brewery, which has grown production by double-digits every year since 2011. In 2015, the brewery updated its packaging, promoted a new head brewer, expanded distribution in Tennessee, and launched collaborative brews with seven craft breweries from around the U.S. and Ireland.