Coal executive envisions brew pub, offices and housing at historic Iron City Brewery site in Lawrenceville
An Armstrong County coal executive who owns the rights to Iron City beer now has his eye on the historic old brewery in Lawrenceville.
Cliff Forrest, president of Rosebud Mining Co., said he has a “definitive agreement” in place with Collier Development to purchase the sprawling complex, which has more than 20 buildings spread over as many as 9 acres.
Mr. Forrest is confident enough in his ability to close the deal that he already has begun spending money on improvements to some of the buildings.
That has included repointing the bricks, replacing windows and adding a new slate roof to one of the buildings. The Keg House, which dates to 1896, and the Ober Haus Building also are getting new roofs, Mr. Forrest said.
“The roofs were leaking and [ water was] getting down between the bricks. If we didn’t get them fixed, they were going to be imperiled,” he said.
Longer term, Mr. Forrest has far bigger plans for the real estate — a city- designated historic property where some of the buildings date to the Civil War era.
That could include bringing back brewing — at least on a very small scale. Mr. Forrest is considering a small brew pub- type operation on the site at 3340 Liberty Ave.
He also sees the potential for offices and residential, perhaps condos, in some of the buildings, although he described any proposed redevelopment as “nebulous” at this point until he is able to gain control over the property.
“Once we have full ownership, we’ll probably try to come up with a master plan and try to interview some prospective developers to see what might be the best use of the various buildings,” he said.
Mr. Forrest said he hopes to finalize the acquisition by the end of the year.
He has been waiting for Collier and owner Jack Cargnoni to find new locations in the city for two businesses still on the brewery site. He said Mr. Cargnoni, who could not be reached for comment, has been looking at properties
in the Strip District and Lawrenceville.
“It really hasn’t impacted us because we have an agreement. We’ve been able to move forward starting renovations,” Mr. Forrest said.
He declined to say how much he agreed to pay for the real estate. Collier bought the complex in 2012 for $ 1.75 million, according to Allegheny County real estate records.
Dan Gilman, chief of staff to Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto, said the city has had conversations with Mr. Cargnoni about “ways to open up the Iron City site for development.”
Matt Galluzzo, executive director of the Lawrenceville Corp., said the organization would like to be involved in the long- range planning for the site and that Mr. Forrest “has expressed a strong interest in working with us.”
The complex, Mr. Galluzzo noted, sits at a strategic junction where Lawrenceville, Polish Hill and the Strip District intersect.
He stressed that the
Lawrenceville Corp. would like to see the old buildings reused and some type of public component, such as a restaurant, incorporated into the plans.
“We think this is an important regional site. To see it continue to atrophy is not in the interest of any of the neighbors,” he said. “We want to see the buildings restored to their original grandeur and productive uses on that site.”
Collier ran into trouble in 2012 when it razed two buildings on the site without first securing a demolition permit. It was fined $ 20,000.
Last year, Mr. Forrest bought Iron City Brewing Co., founded in 1861, from Verus Investment Partners for an undisclosed sum.
The storied brewery’s surviving brands — including Iron City, I. C. Light, American, and Old German — are now brewed by City Brewing Co. in Latrobe.
While dabbling in beer and development, Mr. Forrest is best known for his involvement in the coal industry. He is president and founder of Rosebud Mining, one of Armstrong County’s largest employers. It produces coal for the steel industry and power plants.
Mr. Forrest also owned the now bankrupt Freedom Industries. In January 2014, Freedom leaked chemicals into the Elk River in West Virginia, contaminating water supplies that served 300,000 people and triggering the bankruptcy. Mr. Forrest had just purchased Freedom when the spill occurred.