ROCKWELL WINS 2019 BUILDING ST. LOUIS AWARD

JEMA is proud to announce that Rockwell Beer Co. took home the 2019 Building St. Louis Award last night at the St. Louis Business Journal Awards Ceremony.

Winner: Public/Private project less than $10 million

Rockwell Beer Co. took a vacant former machine shop just behind The Grove neighborhood on a dilapidated part of Vandeventer Avenue and transformed it into a craft destination.

Partnering with developer Green Street, which was behind Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.’s location up the road, Rockwell Beer Co. built its brewing facility and tasting room from shipping containers and traditional materials for a decidedly modern look and feel.

Rockwell rotates taps to keep the experience fresh, and founder Andy Hille also partnered with James Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft to create the food menu featuring burgers and brats and options for vegetarians.

Pop-ups and other events kept anticipation building as it took more than two years for Rockwell Beer Co. to open.

The $5.2 million brewery, which opened in November, created 18 jobs and brought new attention to an old neighborhood.

About the project

Owner/developer: Green Street (developer and property owner); Andy Hille(Rockwell founder)

Contractor: Green Street

Architect: JEMA

Engineer: JEMA

Interior design: JEMA & TOKY (branding)

Financing: Zach Lammers (formerly of Bank of Edwardsville, now Illinois National Bank), plus a 10-year property tax abatement

Project cost: $5.2 million