Last week in an article focusing on the rapid of our local brewing industry, the San Diego Business Journal reported that Miramar-based nanobrewery Hess Brewing was planning to expand into a North Park facility with a 30-barrel brew house, tasting room and canning line. $1.5 million was said to have been raised from private investors, with 15 more employees to be added. Production for the new brewery, which Hess is hoping to open in August, will be about 3,000 barrels in the first year of operation.

Today, a public notice notice of application to sell alcoholic beverages appeared at 3812 Grim Ave., and Proprietor and CBO Mike Hess contacted West Coaster with more details on the project. “We’re very excited about expanding into this unique North Park building,” said Hess. “The beauty of this space is that it’s two stories, with a full basement — which isn’t evident from outside. We’re going to knock out a lot of concrete and build our brew house on the bottom level, plus a 50-foot skybridge going from the entrance to the tasting room in the back.” This skybridge, plus the nearly 3,000 square foot tasting room it’ll lead to, will give visitors a unique perspective on the brewing process from 10 feet off the ground.

Hess, who said that it had taken nearly six months to vet the building and ensure all the plans were structurally sound, is now in a race with Pizza Port’s planned fifth facility in Carlsbad to become the first brewing operation in San Diego to can its beers. “Our canning line will be a separate part of the tasting room, but close enough so you can see all the action,” said Hess, who plans to package his beers in 16 oz cans from Crown Cork & Seal Company. The current Hess Brewing facility in Miramar, a nanobrewery producing 1.6 barrels per batch, will remain operational.