Craft brewery could come to Central Avenue

Little Donkey and Steel City Pops could have a new neighbor in 2015 – a local craft brewery.

At its Nov. 4 meeting, the Homewood Planning Commission voted 5-1 to recommend a conditional rezoning for the Alabama Printing building, located next to Steel City Pops, to accommodate Red Hills Brewing Company.

Joe Pilleteri, one of the business partners for Red Hills, said he envisions the brewery as a neighborhood pub that people frequent after work. He chose the Central Avenue spot because of the street’s “walkability” and existing restaurants.

“Homewood really is the perfect place for a brewery,” Pilleteri said.

Red Hills would serve mainly session beers – lighter beers with 5 percent or less alcohol by volume – along with a few beers with higher alcohol levels. Due to Alabama laws on craft breweries, the company could not sell food. Pilleteri said he would be open to customers bringing in food from neighboring restaurants.

One hurdle for Red Hills is finding parking in the area’s already-packed lots. Some neighboring businesses voiced their objections at the Planning Commission meeting, and Pilleteri said he plans to talk to the City Council and neighboring business owners about potential parking alternatives.

“I want to be part of the community, not a tax on the community,” Pilleteri said.

The special issues committee and City Council will be discussing the brewery in the coming weeks. If approved, Pilleteri said the brewery could open within six months of the approval date.

For more information, visit redhillsbrewingco.com.