The Jamestown Brewing Company, located at 119 E. Third St., Jamestown, is slated to open around the beginning of August. The father and son team of Jon McLellan and Jon McLellan II, along with GPatti Development, are in the process of renovating the former Lillian V. Ney Renaissance Center into the new brewery and restaurant.

McLellan II said the goal is to have the business opened before the opening of the National Comedy Center, which is expected to occur during the Lucy Comedy Fest during the first week of August. He said they will be aiming to have four to eight beers prepared for the opening of the brewery. He added that his father and himself have been brewing beer for 16 years and they have created 16-17 unique recipes.

“There will be something for everyone,” McLellan II said. “We’re going to have a 20 barrel brewing system. There will be darks, pilsners and sours. We will be offering tours, with a tasting area in the basement.”

As a way of meeting the community, McLellan II said they will be hosting “A Tasting in the Alley” event adjacent to the business Saturday, May 5. He said there will be at least three Jamestown Brewing Company beers to enjoy while he greets community residents.

The future open floor area where people will be able to see the brewing of beer at the Jamestown Brewing Company. The project was one of 10 that received a share of $10 million through the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative program. P-J photo by Dennis Phillips

“I’m just looking forward to meeting the community and spending some face time with them,” he said. “We’re anxious to come down here and make a difference.”

McLellan II said they are working to become more entrenched in the community, which is one reason why his father will be moving from Buffalo to live in Jamestown. He said the executive chef, Dave Falkenbach, and the sous chef also plan on relocating and living in Jamestown.

“(They) want to be a part of the community,” McMellan II said.

Along with living and working in Jamestown, McMellan II said they will be using local farmers and produce providers for ingredients for dishes served at the restaurant. He said they will also be buying their hops for making beer locally as well.

The restaurant will seat around 300 people, with 168 available on the mezzanine and 124 accessible on the first floor, McMellan II said. There will also be a third floor banquet room, which can fit a large group of around 300 or can be retrofitted for smaller occasions. The first floor of the business will have an open floor area where people can pull up a stool and watch the brewing process in the basement. He said there will be a lounge area and pub and booth seating available.

Also, the south wall of the upper floor will be replaced by a windows so people can see what is happening at the National Comedy Center. He added in future years, they want to be able to offer customers outdoor seating and roof top accessibility.

Greg Lindquist, GPatti Development vice president, said they officially acquired the property from the Gebbie Foundation in July, which is when exterior and interior renovation work started on the building. He said the total restoration project will cost around $4 million, which includes purchasing the building. The creation of the brewery and restaurant work is costing around $1.1 million.

The project received $830,000 through the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative. The renovation project also received a $475,000 state Main Street grant, around $200,000 from city officials in Community Development Block Grant funding for facade enhancements and Americans With Disabilities Act improvements, $180,000 Jamestown Local Development Corporation loan, $100,000 from the County of Chautauqua Industrial Development Agency and $50,000 from the Greater Jamestown Zone Capital Corporation. Lindquist said the project is also using federal and state historic tax credits because the project is happening in the Jamestown Downtown Historic District.

Lindquist said with the opening of the National Comedy Center, the Jamestown Brewing Company, the DoubleTree by Hilton Jamestown, and with renovations scheduled to be completed at the Reg Lenna Center for the Arts, these four projects will all effect downtown Jamestown dramatically once they are all opened.

“All four coming online at the same time, it will have a huge impact,” he said. “The whole downtown environment will change almost overnight.”

For more information, visit Jamestown Brewing Company’s Facebook page.

The Jamestown Brewing Company project was one of 10 that received funding through the state Downtown Revitalization Initiative program. In 2016, Cuomo announced the DRI to invest $100 million into 10 communities — one municipality from each of the Regional Economic Development Councils. The initiative is to assist communities with transformative housing, economic development, transportation and community projects to attract and retain residents, visitors and businesses. Jamestown was the first community selected for the DRI in Western New York.