(Portland, OR) – With the impending demolition of the venerable New Old Lompoc Brewery & Pub on NW 23rd Ave. next month, many Portlanders have questioned where they’ll go for a new watering hole. Lompoc owner Jerry Fechter has good news: Lompoc Brewing has signed a lease in the new building and is looking to reopen in summer 2013.
“We shall return!” exclaimed Fechter. “Maybe not as dramatic as General McArthur, but we have signed a new lease on NW 23rd Ave. with developer CE John Company. The pub will be built in the exact same location on the block, only in the new building that is to replace our beloved pub.”
According to Fechter, Lompoc has been in discussion with developer CE John Company for the last several years about building a new pub when the old one comes down. CE John will start in May on a new LEED Gold four-story, mixed-use building on the block with retail on the first floor, 24 apartment units above, and a state-of-the-art mechanized parking system tucked behind the retail space. The boutique-scaled project will open next summer.
“We love this old building and all the character it has, but the time has come to upgrade,” said Fechter. “With the new pub, we will strive to create that great neighborhood pub vibe that we’ve been known for all these years.”
“We are thrilled to have Lompoc return to the new building and continue serving the neighborhood as they have for many years,” said Brian Greeley, Vice President of Leasing for CE John. “When you have the ability to keep a successful, local, beloved tenant on NW 23rd, you do what it takes to make that happen.”
The new space will be a pub only, with all brewing operations shifting to the Lompoc Brewery at 3901 N Williams Ave. Lompoc will lose its patio space in the back, but will gain a large outdoor patio in the front of the building, with a portion of it covered and heated.
“We’re actually very excited about being in a new, sustainably designed building and being a part of the many changes that are happening to the north end of 23rd Ave.,” stated Fechter.
The Old Lompoc Brewery (as it was originally known) has been producing handcrafted ales and lagers since December 1996, while the tavern has been open since 1993. The New Old Lompoc opened on May 6th, 2000, under the new ownership of Jerry Fechter and Don Younger.
The final date for the existing New Old Lompoc pub – being referred to as the Lompocalypse – is April 28, but there will be a series of “end of days” activities and specials occurring that final week, beginning April 23.
For more information, visit www.lompocbrewing.com.
