Oak Park approves permit for its first craft brewery

Nov. 19--If all goes as planned Oak Park will become home to its first craft brewery in late 2015.

Village trustees wished Oak Park resident Steve Loranz and his business partner "good luck" Monday night as they unanimously granted the pair a permit to locate the brewery at 6806 Roosevelt Road. The vote came just after another unanimous decision to amend the village's zoning code to allow craft breweries to operate in the general business district as a special use.

"This was an excellent application. They are very competent in their business plan they're really thinking about how to be a good neighbor and we were quite impressed," said David Mann, chair of the Plan Commission, which recommended approval of the two items. "Beyond that, I think they're going to revitalize a building that is underused in an area that really needs a spark."

Loranz said that while he was "really excited" about the board's decision, they still have a long ways to go before they can open the brewery, which they've named the Noble Kinsman after the road's namesake Theodore Roosevelt. In letters to her son, Franklin Delano Roosevelt's mother referred to his cousin as "your noble kinsman."

"We wanted to honor him in some way," Loranz said.

Loranz said Wednesday that he and his business partner expected to finalize the purchase of the property this week. After closing the sale, they will need to renovate the space, buy and install equipment and obtain the appropriate liquor licenses.

The operation would be much smaller than a typical brewery and likely would include a tap room, but no kitchen, Loranz said. The brewery would be self-distributing for some time and wouldn't have large trucks coming in and out of the corridor.

"We're happy to have a chance to move forward on this," Loranz said. "We're excited to be a part of the Roosevelt Road corridor."

The brewery proposal comes amid an ongoing discussion about whether to allow bars to set up shop in Oak Park. The village's liquor laws currently require any establishment serving alcohol to also serve food.