PEORIA — John S. Rhodell Brewery, a longtime pillar of the Warehouse District, is planning to leave its current address. But it’s not going far.



The brewery, at 619-A SW Water St., will relocate just down the street in a now-vacant portion of the Murray Building, 100 Walnut St. Brewmaster Mark Johnstone said he has secured financing for a “six-figure” renovation of a 4,500-square foot portion of the building’s first floor.



“It’s a huge investment for the riverfront,” said Johnstone, who is signing a 12-year lease for the space and expects to leave the current location in January and open in the new location no later than February.



Johnstone said the prime location will allow him to expand his business, which has been steadily growing since opening in May 1998 thanks to the craft beer boom.



Rhodell Brewery, a combination brew-on-premises facility and microbrewery, will retain its classification as such. The business will expand to include a bar with wine and cocktails and 14 beers on tap. Johnstone will also open a kitchen and plans to bring in blues and jazz performers.



“The goal is to make it more of a social hangout,” Johnstone said.



The architectural plans include a 400-square-foot covered beer garden on the east side of the building along Water Street, and a main entrance on the building’s north side, facing the Bob Michel Bridge.



Johnstone said the building’s plentiful parking — the lot has space for 150 cars — was also appealing to him. He anticipates hosting outdoor beer and food festivals.



Chris Setti, assistant city manager, said the move will “activate” the Murray building.



“The Murray Building has a lot of activity on the inside, but it doesn’t have a lot of street presence, and that’s important,” he said. “When we talk about pedestrian friendly space, the worst thing is vacant buildings and blank walls. If you think about walking from Kelleher’s (Irish Pub and Eatery) to the Spirit of Peoria, the thing that’s always been missing is the Murray Building. Having ground floor retail is a very important part of the Warehouse District.”



The Murray Building was built in the early 1930s. Brian Murray, whose family has owned the building since 1970 when his grandfather moved the George Murray Tire Co. retail outlet there, says he will pay for updated bathrooms and exterior improvements.



The space that the brewery will occupy currently is being used for storage, but a stroll through the cavernous first floor reveals the character within, which includes 14-foot ceilings and towering concrete columns. Electronics Diversified and Ribbon Records are also located on the first floor of the building, in an adjoining space. Several artists also have studios in the building.



Murray said he would like to draw another restaurant or two to the building, and he’s already had a coffee shop approach him. But he isn’t in a hurry.



“This is the first real development that I’ve been involved in, and I want to make sure we get this one off on the right foot and deal with any hiccups. In a perfect world, I would like to have some sort of restaurant that complements (Rhodell Brewery). But I’m not going to bring people in just for the sake of bringing people in. I’d make sure it would mesh with (the other tenants).”



Murray says the brewery is a perfect fit for the building.



“It’s nice that (Johnstone) is making a commitment to stay (in the Warehouse District),” Murray said. “He could’ve gone anywhere, he could’ve gone across the river. The goal is to keep him in the neighborhood.”



Danielle Hatch can be reached at 686-3262 or dhatch@pjstar.com. Follow her on Twitter @danielle_hatch.