CHELSEA, MI --- Opening a brewery in the heart of downtown Chelsea has been in the works for more than two years for Grass Lake resident Chris Martinson.

Martinson, who has been home-brewing craft beers for several years, said he wanted to bring something different to an already thriving community that he and his family spend much time in.

“(My wife Aubrey and I) wondered why there wasn’t already a brewery in town,” Martinson said.

The lack of a brewery in Chelsea helped inspire him to start the Chelsea Alehouse Brewery, which Martinson hopes to open by early September.

Martinson, 33, recently leased a 4,200-square-foot space in the Clocktower Complex off Main Street, next to the Chelsea Teddy Bear Company.

The Chelsea Alehouse Brewery, 420 N. Main St., Suite 100, will have at least eight beers on tap to start and will include a deli-style kitchen that will serve sandwiches, soups, salads and appetizers.

There will also be an outdoor beer garden and a venue for live entertainment, Martinson said.

So far, he has gotten the word about his new business venture through Facebook and his website, and the response has been positive, he said.

“People really want this in Chelsea,” Martinson said. “People appreciate good quality beer and good quality food.”