New brewpub planned for old east end fire station on Duckworth Street

A former fire hall in the downtown area of St. John's is one step closer to getting a new life as a microbrewery and coffee shop, now that St. John's City Council has approved-in-principle rezoning the property.

The brew pub, which will be called The Fire Hall, will be located at the old east end fire station at 90 Duckworth Street, which has been vacant for years.

Parlibright Holdings wants to turn the building into a "Newfoundland focused premiere rotating-tap craft brewpub and taproom."

It's not a done deal yet, however —  the amendments approved by council Monday will now be sent to the Department of Municipal Affairs and Environment. Once it gets the green light at that level, the proposal will be the subject of a public hearing and will require another vote by St. John's City Council. 

The plan is to renovate the building to host a coffee shop during the day, and a brewpub at night that offers 15 different types of draught beer ranging from light lagers to IPAs and stouts.

• Craft beer renaissance: Newfoundland and Labrador hops on the bandwagon
• Hop in: Still plenty of room in booming brewery business, say insiders

The owners are aiming to open the business in the summer of 2018, approvals pending, and said it will be a family-friendly location that will double as a cafe and community space.

They say The Fire Hall will focus on sourcing its products from Newfoundland and Labrador when possible. It also plans to repurpose its used grain to feed local livestock, potentially at places like Lester's Farm.

The proposal for the brewpub states that renovations of the old fire hall will attempt to maintain the heritage aspects of the building, including preserving the original structure and facade.