Zoning approved for Central Avenue brewery

Red Hills Brewing Company is set to move forward with its business plans. At a specially called council meeting on Thursday, Dec. 18, the council voted 7-1 to approve rezoning for the proposed brewery property at 2823 Central Avenue. Ward 1 Place 1 Representative Michael Hallman voted against the rezoning.

This zoning approval enables Red Hills to bottle and can its craft beers on-site. It had nothing to do with approval for the tavern side of Red Hills or parking issues, which have become a sore spot for some neighboring businesses.

“It doesn’t have a bottling machine capability right now, and that’s all the zoning is for. It’s a bottling machine issue,” Ward 5 Place 2 Representative Peter Wright said.

Joe Pilleteri, one of the business partners for Red Hills, said he is working with the city to find adequate parking for the area. Options he is currently considering include renting neighboring lots at night and valet parking from another location.

Red Hills is planning to move into the current Alabama Printing building. In a November interview, Pilleteri said that Red Hills could be open for business in as little as six months after its zoning approval. However, an official opening date has not yet been set.