Moosehead Pulls the Plug on Waterfront Brewery Project in Saint John
Updated: 3:30 p.m.
SAINT JOHN – Moosehead Breweries announced Tuesday that it will not proceed with its small-batch brewery project planned for the Saint John waterfront.
The company says it reached the decision after a re-evaluation of the overall project costs which found that the brewery as envisioned could not be completed for the assigned project budget. The company says it is unwilling to “compromise the proposed brewery’s quality” by cutting costs.
“We are disappointed we are unable to proceed with this project. We hoped to create something special for our company and for the City of Saint John. People have been extremely supportive and we are sorry that we cannot meet everyone’s expectations. This decision was not taken lightly and we want to assure everyone we remain 100 per cent committed to Saint John and to our many friends and customers,” said Andrew Oland, Moosehead’s president and chief executive officer, in a release.
“The intention of our proposed brewery was for Moosehead to expand its small-batch brewing capability and to have a place to show our passion for beer. That goal has not been lost and we will now take a few months to re-group and develop alternate plans.”
Karen Cousins, a spokesperson for Moosehead Breweries, said she couldn’t reveal the exact cost of the planned multi-million dollar project or how much over budget it turned out to be.
“The original budget was prepared with the assistance of experts in both the brewing and architectural industries. We believed it was a reasonable budget for the high-quality project we envisioned. Unfortunately, as planning progressed, unforeseen issues started to become apparent,” she said. “The company did everything within its power to address these matters but we could not overcome all of them in a cost-effective manner.”