Vice District Brewing 2018-06-18 043
Local News

Vice District Brewing plans July opening after Homewood grants financial incentive extension

Vice District Brewing is hoping to open its Homewood location in July after the village granted an extension to its financial incentive agreement June 26. The craft brewer’s owner Curtis Tarver II said in an email to the H-F Chronicle that the remaining construction on the building at 18027-18029 Dixie Highway should take about a week.

Vice District Brewing is hoping to open its Homewood location in July after the village granted an extension to its financial incentive agreement June 26.
 
  Vice District owner Curtis 
  Tarver II expects the 
  brewery and taproom to 
  open sometime in July 
  after experiencing delays
  in renovating the building 
  on Dixie Highway in 
  downtown Homewood.

  (Photo by Eric Crump/
  H-F Chronicle)
 

The craft brewer’s owner Curtis Tarver II said in an email to the H-F Chronicle that the remaining construction on the building at 18027-18029 Dixie Highway should take about a week. After that, Tarver hopes the village board will approve his liquor license application at its July 10 meeting.
 

He expects to be open for business before the end of July, barring any other unforeseen hiccups.

The board approved $100,000 in non-TIF business incentive funds for Vice District in September 2016. The funding was meant to help the brewery with construction costs. The agreement carried a stipulation that work would be completed within six months.
 

The village granted a 12-month extension in March 2017 and another for six additional months this week.
 
In a letter to the village explaining the need for the latest extension, Tarver said there was a nine month delay in getting a permit from the Illinois Department of Transportation and a five month permit delay from Thorn Creek Basin Sanitary District. Both were related to the building’s water service. The line was determined to be inadequate for both brewing and the emergency sprinkler system. A higher capacity water line required excavation under Dixie Highway, Tarver said. 

Interior construction on the project has been nearly complete for almost a year. 
 

Tarver said Vice District Brewing paid almost $54,000 in property taxes without any revenue because of the delays. He also spent $33,000 on an interest-only loan that can’t be converted into a conventional loan until construction is complete. 
 
“I still think July is a pretty safe bet to open,” Tarver said.
 
Tarver won the Democratic primary for the 25th district seat in the Illinois House of Representatives and will run uncontested in November. Once he is declared the winner, he is expected to take the oath of office in January. 
 

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