American Brewery (building)

The American Brewery, located in the Broadway East, Baltimore community, is an historic former brewery located at 1701 North Gay Street in northeast Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Formerly abandoned and left to decay for four decades, renovations started in 2007, with completion in 2009. It is currently the headquarters of Humanim Inc., a regional social services agency.

History
Built in 1887 by John Frederick Wiessner, a German immigrant, for his Weissner Brewing Company, the Northeast Baltimore brewery was one of the largest breweries in the state of Maryland. At its peak, the brewery employed 61 workers: 16 in brewery work, 17 drivers, 14 in the bottling house, 8 garage men, and 6 office workers. The central tower of the building housed a 10,000-bushel grain elevator. Prohibition forced the shutdown of the facility in 1920. In 1931 the Wiessner family sold the brewery to the American Malt Company, which modernized the interior equipment and operated the brewery until 1973. The building was listed that year in the National Registry of Historic Sites.

Struever Bros. Eccles and Rouse, Inc. obtained site control of the building from The City of Baltimore, and working with Gotham Development LLC, enlisted Humanim, Inc., a Columbia, Maryland, nonprofit organization to become the building's new owner. Humanim, Inc. in conjunction with Struever Bros. Eccles and Rouse, Inc. and Gotham Development LLC secured $22.5 million for the building renovations. The American Brewery is situated in the center of one of East Baltimore's most blighted neighborhoods.

Redevelopment
Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, Inc., Humanim Inc., and Gotham Development LLC redeveloped the Brewhouse building  into a social and human services center and a new Baltimore headquarters for Humanim Inc. Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, Inc. acted as the Construction Manager for the renovations.

The Brewhouse building, a 30000 sqft building that once served as the main brewing facility, was transformed into Humanim's Baltimore headquarters. Humanim is a 50-year-old Maryland-based social and human services provider that has delivered programs and services in East Baltimore for the last 35 years. The adjacent Bottle Building, a 60000 sqft c. 1937 industrial building, still awaits future redevelopment.

The once-vibrant neighborhood around the brewery building has long been in decline and was largely forgotten by politicians and the media during the latter half of the 20th century. About half of the homes and other buildings in the area have been demolished or are vacant. Basic services such as grocery stores and restaurants have disappeared as well. In 2006, the City of Baltimore moved to acquire 200 abandoned properties in the area for future demolition or rehabilitation.

The rehabilitation of the American Brewery has served as an impetus for further investment in the East Baltimore neighborhood. Due to its central location in a struggling neighborhood, interior space, and architectural quality, the brewery is seen by urban planners as an anchor for future community and economic development initiatives in the area. It is hoped that new employment and social services will attract additional investors, improving the quality of life for current and future residents.