14 Feb 3 Floyds Expansion Submitted to Town of Munster
by Mark E. Lasbury for Indiana In Tap
The years of work and the building of reputation for 3 Floyds Brewing are about to pay off for all us drinkers in the form of a huge expansion of their Munster, IN campus. The brewery has recently submitted detailed plans for a large expansion on their existing site.
The plans, submitted to the Town of Munster after a series of meetings to ensure that previous conceptual plans met with town standards, call for a more than doubling of the current space held by 3 Floyds. Currently, 3F holds a good amount of space off Calumet Avenue in Munster, but the expansion would extend the brewery and its ground in all directions, including across the street on Indiana Parkway.
An east side elevation of the proposed 3F expansion. image credit: 3F
The existing facility is about 57,000 sq. ft., but the proposed expansion would increase this to over 155,000 sq. ft., not including a healthy increase in the amount of available parking. Over 280 spaces would be created, both on the north and east sides, as well as angle parking on Indiana Parkway.
Included in the increased facility would be 7500 sq. ft. of retail space, 7400 sq. ft. of restaurant (a needed expansion), 7700 sq. ft. of office space, and 114,500 sq. ft. of manufacturing and warehouse space. Perhaps the most intriguing part of the plan is the 17,000 square foot patio and beer garden. On elevations and blue prints, the garden looks a bit like a skate park – right up 3 Floyd’s alley.
On the other hand, the elevations for the facades don’t really look like 3F. It’s a very industrial feel, lots of glass and metal; acute angles and low-sloped roofs. Don’t get me wrong, the look is monstrously cool, it just doesn’t invokes the feelings of hard rock music and sticking it to the man that 3F is known for.
Included in the plans are an eco-friendly green roof over a portion of the facility, a space for future expansion of their distillery, and a private road on the west side for deliveries and distribution. There is also a 2nd story pedestrian walkway between two logo’d towers – it isn’t clear exactly if this goes to the parking lots or if it is just an overlook. It looks good, anyway.
The patio planned for 3F looks amazing. Looking forward to summer afternoons there. image credit: 3F
And then there is that huge patio and beer garden. The blue prints show that 3F is thinking about the environment. There is a huge amount of landscaping involved, and the aesthetics haven’t been forgotten. There are even sidewalks proposed, which might be great for folks leaving Dark Lord day. Oh forget it – people leaving Dark Lord won’t use sidewalks even if they are painted in fluorescent colors.
According to the proposal sent to the town of Munster, the timetable indicates that most of the work would be done by the middle of 2019. The first phase would begin with the north parking lot in the spring of 2018, while the construction and landscaping would be later work, but still done in a timely fashion. I can’t express how much Walter and I are looking forward to this expansion if it comes to pass. The small brewpub is/was a destination with a distinct feel, but the appeal of 3F demands that they become more tourist friendly. Good luck with the proposal.
Click here for a pdf of the entire proposal.
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