Switchyard Brewing Company will host the first in a series of community meetings Saturday to get feedback and answer questions about its plans to open in the former Bloomingfoods Elm Heights location. One of the biggest concerns is parking.
The future home of Switchyard Brewing Company sits in the middle of the densely-populated Elm Heights neighborhood. The neighborhood is a mix of owner-occupied homes and student rentals. That makes parking a challenge.
"We have a limited amount of parking that is dedicated to the site and the city has a few spots in front," says Switchyard Brewing Founder Kurtis Cummings.
That's one of the issues Cummings says they'll discuss with residents during upcoming community meetings. The first is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday in the Harmony School gymnasium.
Cummings says he wants the business to be a positive addition to the neighborhood.
"We cannot be successful without this community," he says. "They go hand in hand."
Cummings says it takes at least six months for brewing equipment to be produced and the brewery won't open until it's in place. He hopes that will happen by the end of the summer.