Spike Brewing, a local brewing equipment manufacturer, has announced that it will build a $9 million, 73,000-square-foot manufacturing facility on a vacant lot at 4132 N. Holton St.
That four-acre City of Milwaukee-owned lot will be sold to Spike for $1.
Spike is currently located at 3866 N. Fratney St.
“This building has been over 10 years in the making. After winning the Reader’s Choice Homebrew Brand of the Year Award in 2021, it only seems fitting that we move into a new, state-of-the-art production facility,” said founder Ben Caya.
“We plan on expanding our product offerings, creating more jobs and hosting brewing classes to teach the local community about the best hobby they never knew existed – brewing beer at home!”
Caya, a UWM grad, manufactures brew kettles, fermentation tanks, pumps, electrical control panels and other equipment for breweries in the United States and Canada.
According to announcement late Wednesday, the expansion will allow Spike to add 20 more employees to its existing 25 to help add three new production lines.
The new building will be designed and constructed by Bence Build.
According to spokesperson Taylor Patton, Spike hopes to break ground in August and is projecting completion in about 14 months, pending approvals and barring any complications.
Although Spike expects to fully occupy the building in time, initially a portion of it will be rented to another business.
Spike plans to make the building entirely solar-powered and will include a test brewery where it can teach home brewing to community members.
Th City of Milwaukee's Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee (RACM) worked with the previous owners, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up the contaminated property, located near the Milwaukee River.
“Milwaukee boasts a rich history in manufacturing and beer making. Spike Brewing’s new facility will be an excellent addition to the community that will add value to the neighborhood,” said Mayor Cavalier Johnson in Wednesday's announcement.
“With strong partners like Spike Brewing, we are building a manufacturing future here with good companies, modern facilities, and jobs for great Milwaukee workers.”
Spike will use New Market Tax Credits, conventional financing and RACM revolving loan funding to fund the project, which requires approvals from RACM and the Milwaukee Common Council.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
