UPDATE: Vander Mill Ciders aims to make 1 million gallons in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The former headquarters of a beer distributor will be renovated for hard cider production and a tap room.

Vander Mill Ciders is seeking city approval to repurpose the old B&B Beer Distributing facility at 505 Ball Ave. NE, north of Michigan Street. Permits are needed for hard cider production and sales, on-site alcohol service and live entertainment. A hearing is set for 1:50 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22.

"The tap room has been designed in a way that will allow the consumer to view the entire production process via large glass windows," Vander Mill owner Paul Vander Heide wrote in a city application. "We will be pressing apples, fermenting cider in large stainless steel fermentation tanks and packaging ciders in both bottles and cans."



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Plans filed with the city call for renovating the front office of an existing 42,000-square-foot building into a 3,300-square-foot tap room and restaurant. The building also would be used for production and warehousing of raw materials and finished goods, according to the plans.

There's room on-site for additional parking, both for customers and employees. Vander Mill plans to hire people for food service, production and administrative jobs, Vander Heide wrote in the application.

Vander Heide was not immediately available for comment.



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Vander Mill opened in 2006 at 14921 Cleveland St. near Spring Lake and two years later began distributing hard cider. A 3,500-square-foot expansion two years ago increased production capacity and added new canning equipment.

The mill has a 65-seat restaurant and seasonal outdoor cider garden in Spring Lake, and its ciders are available in stores and pubs around Michigan, Illinois and Ohio.

Matt Vande Bunte covers government for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at mvandebu@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter and Facebook.