Vibrant Shore Brewing Company to Open in ViBe Creative District
October 19, 2017
Vibrant Shore Brewing Company will open a craft brewery and tasting room at 505 18th St. in Virginia Beach's ViBe Creative District. The newest brewery will be Virginia Beach's 12th in a rapidly growing craft beer scene. Vibrant Shore is purchasing the property for a 10-barrel Deutsche beverage brewing system. The building, comprising 2,584 square feet, will be used for the tasting room, seating area and manufacturing space. A matching addition will be constructed in the rear that will contain a walk-in cooler, malt storage room and a low-pressure boiler room. An elevated 609-square-foot outdoor seating area will be added to the roof of the new building that will be accessed via an outdoor staircase. The brewery will open in June 2018. "We are excited to open this family owned, independent brewery in the heart of Virginia Beach's creative ViBe District," said Rhett Rebold, owner. "We're especially eager to join the artists and other creatives who have such a strong sense of community and interesting, well-established businesses there. Vibrant Shore Brewing Company hopes to blend the fine art of brewing with our commitment to promote, grow and serve as an integral part of the vibrant, local visual and acoustic arts community."The building, constructed in 1958, is currently occupied by Red Flag Athletics, a cross-training gym. Vibrant Shore Brewing Company will make a capital investment of $827,800 to include real estate, furniture and fixtures, and machinery and tools. The Virginia Beach Development Authority has awarded an Economic Development Investment Program grant in the amount of $20,000 based on the company's capital investment."This is a great new addition to the ViBe Creative District and a great re-use of an existing property," said Virginia Beach Economic Development Director Warren D. Harris. "We have a thriving craft brewery community, and we are always eager to support our small and entrepreneurial businesses. We are also pleased that 10 new jobs will be created in Virginia Beach." ViBe Creative District was established to attract creative industries to a section of the Virginia Beach oceanfront that was identified for revitalization. It was once an incubator for small and emerging businesses. In 2015, the City of Virginia Beach established the boundary of the district by ordinance and declared it "an arts and cultural district and technology zone" with incentives established by the Virginia General Assembly. The ViBe Creative District's purpose is to serve as a vibrant center for the arts, culture and technology.The mission of the Virginia Beach Department of Economic Development is to attract and retain national and international businesses to stimulate capital investment and create jobs. Virginia Beach is the most populous city in Virginia with a population of 450,000, and it is the 37th largest in the United States. The Department of Economic Development received re-accreditation through the International Economic Development Council in 2016 and is one of only 50 economic development organizations in the world to have this recognition. Most recently, Virginia Beach was named America's #1 best big city to live in by wallethub.com. For more information, visit www.yesvirginiabeach.com.
