VERO BEACH – The American Icon Brewery at the old Diesel Power Plant in Vero Beach is set to have its grand opening on July 4, 2017.
Inside the plant, people are hard at work, and it’s getting closer to becoming a brewery each week during its transformation.
On the outside, it’s a piece of history that’s been preserved in Vero Beach. This will soon become a dining and drinking establishment.
The cost of the restoration and for its building permit was $1.8 million. The project also received a “Special Certificate of Appropriateness” by the Vero Historic Preservation Commission.
There are about 15 companies involved in the project with teams of architects, engineers, brewery and restaurant experts, and interior designers.
American Icon Brewery is already working on its flagship beers, which will include seasonal brews that will rotate.
They also say that their food will be as good as their craft beer, with about 25 items on the menu. They want the Old Diesel Plant to be more than just a beer place.
The 1920-era building will become a place in time, and the crews are working fast while they add lots of detail to the interior. An open artificial turf area is planned for the lawn space between the building and Route 60. This area will be a hangout to listen to live music or other activities.
Right now they are working on the 2,700-square-foot mezzanine platform that will be built to allow customers to view the diesel engine from above on one side while dining and drinking.
Inside, the brewery will be on the opposite side where patrons will smell the hops. There will be a staircase of some reclaimed wood and a glass elevator.
Vero Beach sold the building to Michael Rechter for $500,000 last year, and he’s excited about the project.
In a couple of months, there will be a new place in town to dine and enjoy craft beer. We can’t wait.