Hoperatives

Laura Baverman from the Enquirer sent out an announcement on Twitter at 4:26 PM that a lot of us have been waiting on for a very long time:

Big news for the Banks development announced today. The Moerlein Lager House, hoped to open in 2011 [...]

The story she linked to starts this way:

With glockenspiels, biergartens and a working microbrewery, the Moerlein Lager House could provide the first sign of life for the long-awaited Riverfront Park and Banks development.

City Council approved today a preferred development agreement with Christian Moerlein Brewing Company for the construction of a 15,000-square-foot restaurant and brewery and expansive outdoor biergarten facing the Ohio River.

Set to span the full block on Main Street between Mehring Way and Theodore M. Berry Way, the Lager House will sit at the edge of Riverfront Park where a garage for the The Banks project will be constructed. It will lie just 200 feet from the southwest corner of Great American Ball Park.

Christian Moerlein CEO Greg Hardman signed the agreement with the Cincinnati Parks Board earlier this week. It gives him 45 days to secure financing and submit a final development plan to the city. He could start construction early next year and host a grand opening celebration by spring 2011.

“Our mission is to breathe new life and vigor into the grand brewing tradition that made Cincinnati one of the world’s greatest brewing meccas over a century ago,” said Hardman, in a news release.

He plans to brew 5,000 barrels of Christian Moerlein beer at the Lager House annually and offer brewery tours to restaurant patrons. Cuisine will recall Over-the-Rhine 19th century biergarten offerings such as hand-carved sandwiches on freshly-baked bread made from spent brewer’s grain. Hardman expects to employ 200 at the facility.

There’s much more information in the story and you should go there and read the whole thing.

This is great news. Congratulations to Greg Hardman and everyone at Christian Moerlein!