What’s next for moderation!

Dear Moderation Family:

There have been some exciting plans brewing about the future of Moderation. They’ve been “hopping” right along and “cascading” into something pretty cool, that is our next “noble experiment.”

Bad beer puns aside, we are totally thrilled about the future. As many of you know we have needed a much larger space for many years. Being downtown has been a core part of our identity and mission since we opened. We have been searching for a way to stay and invest in our beloved hometown, and the redevelopment of the Central Fire Station is the perfect opportunity. The Times Record recently reported on our proposed plan. We wanted to reach out to all of you and tell you a bit more in our own words!

We wanted to find a space that could help us create something more than just a brewery expansion. Since we first opened our doors in 2018 we have strived to be that “third place”—not your home or your work but that third place that is a key part of your community. From hosting trivia to fundraisers to improv practice to first dates to board meetings to Pride to even having some kids take their first steps (or first words) in the tasting room, our place has always been about more than just the beer.

The Central Fire Station will enable us to continue that while also preserving a building that has been a key part of Brunswick’s history. We want to restore the facade and the firefighting medallions and decorations on the tower. The location will enable us to create a large outdoor beer garden and park that can host events, food vendors, and maker’s markets. Additionally our proposal preserves public parking and will add much needed bike parking and infrastructure as well. The basement of the fire station would be turned into a community kitchen. This will enable us to increase our food program while also serving as a place to host various chefs, classes, food trucks, and other vendors. This provides us a way to partner with the incredible surrounding businesses and also providing a place for folks to try out new menus or products with a built-in market. 

Our plan was also informed by the public survey that the town sub-committee that put out to Brunswick Residents. We used those responses to help guide our plans. Additionally we looked to the many plans and studies that have been done about the future of Brunswick's downtown, from the Downtown Master Plan to our Comp Plan. We wanted to ensure that the future for not only Moderation--but also the fire station--aligned with these guiding documents.

Another part of the plan that we are very passionate about is the ability to create affordable housing. We are hoping to create studio apartments on the second floor that will be geared to the downtown workforce—and most importantly, be affordable, for those of us who work downtown. In the future we would like to pay-it-forward and have a registered apprenticeship program based at the brewery where folks could stay upstairs while gaining credentialed training in brewing, hospitality, and more.

This has been a dream of ours for many years, since we first heard that the fire department would be moving into a much needed new space. We were lucky to connect with Mike Lyne from Developers Collaborative, who has a shared passion for Brunswick and renovating and restoring key Maine properties. (He’s also a former fire fighter!) He has helped us pull together a top-notch team for the project with Barrett Made Architecture + Construction and Aceto Landscape Architects (whose renderings are featured in this newsletter). We know with Mike, Kevin, and the rest of the Developers Collaborative group that this will be a success.

This project also allows us to expand and grow alongside the rest of the Brunswick brewing scene.  The Maine Beer industry as a whole is a wildly collaborative and supportive group. Here in Brunswick we have been honored to grow alongside Black Pug Brewing, Flight Deck Brewing—and now Crooked Keg Brewing and Brickyard Hollow too. Whether it’s chatting about brews, commiserating about chaos, or simply cheering each other on, we have always had each other’s backs. The move to the fire station will open up our location, and we have been talking with Black Pug about moving into our current spot at 103 Maine Street. This will enable both of us to grow our businesses, increase our staff and production, and make downtown Brunswick even more of a vibrant destination.

If you have any questions or ideas, please reach out. We would love to hear what you think!

None of this project is set in stone and is still subject to Town Council approval. We would love your support—and need your help. The council is meeting on October 2nd to vote on whether to approve the next steps for the project. We encourage folks to email the council in support. You can email the whole council by clicking here. You can learn more about the whole council here: https://www.brunswickme.org/331/Town-Council

We also are hoping folks will show up in person to show their support on October 2nd at 6:30 pm at the Brunswick Town Hall. Please email us by clicking here if you would like more information about supporting us in person!

We couldn’t be doing any of this without our incredible team and family at Moderation! This future also wouldn’t be possible without all of you. Thank you for all of your support!

Cheers and here's to the future!
Mattie + Philip + Angela + Percival