Hi-Wire Brewing Announces Plans for Cincinnati, OH Taproom at Factory 52

From Hi-Wire:

Award-winning Brewery & Taproom to Open First Ohio Location in Norwood

Cincinnati, Ohio – Cincinnati-based PLK Communities announced that nationally acclaimed Hi-Wire Brewing, based in Asheville, NC, will open a brewery and taproom at Factory 52, PLK’s 20-acre redevelopment on the former site of the US Playing Card factory in Norwood.  “We are thrilled to have Hi-Wire Brewing sign on to be part of Factory 52,” said Nick Lingenfelter, Vice President of Development at PLK Communities. “We knew that working with a top-tier brewery who could compete with the best of our region would be critical to revitalizing the former US Playing Card Facility into a first-class destination.”

Since its founding in Asheville, NC in 2013, Hi-Wire Brewing has garnered numerous awards and accolades, including three Gold Awards at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), World Beer Cups and PASTE magazine awards. They already feature local taprooms throughout North Carolina (Asheville, Durham, Wilmington, Charlotte) and in Knoxville, TN, and Louisville, KY.

Factory 52 will be its first Ohio location and was particularly attractive not only for its strategic distribution convenience across nine states, but also for PLK’s commitment to adaptive reuse. “We have had a lot of success in other markets when we purposefully partner with developers that are already committed to reuse,” said Chris Frosaker, Hi-Wire co-owner. “We primarily seek campus-style locations in neighborhoods that are up-and-coming; so Factory 52 is just a great fit for our organization.”

Factory 52 provides tenant partners a re-purposed location in greater Cincinnati that offers many benefits to help them succeed both locally and regionally. Lingenfelter added that Hi-Wire’s innovative thinking, willingness to try new things, and clear appreciation for sustainability and urban renewal are just what PLK seeks in all tenant partners to fulfill its long-term vision for the development.

The impressive Factory 52 campus will feature the Hi-Wire Brewing taproom alongside a food hall, boutique retail shops, residences, a dog park, the newly-announced Aces Pickleball complex, and a grand public courtyard. Situated in the campus’s Amenity Building, this location will be a unique addition to the brewery’s set of nine taprooms being the first to feature a multi-level design. The 5800-square-foot primary space will fill the building’s first floor and feature a bar with twenty-four taps and a large outdoor patio, while a twelve-tap secondary bar and 3780-square-foot rooftop deck overlooking the entire property will occupy the third floor. In Hi-Wire’s mission to create taprooms that cultivate community and inspire fun, the Cincinnati location will feature walls covered in vibrant murals, an assortment of family-friendly games including soccer pool, table tennis, and foosball, and a rotating selection of Hi-Wire Brewing’s own beer including year-round offerings, seasonals, specialties, sour and wild ales, one-offs, and undistributed releases.

Construction of Hi-Wire Brewing Cincinnati will begin immediately, and it will open to the public in fall 2022. Both parties were represented by Melissa Ruther or Megan Fair at CBRE. For more information about the development or leasing opportunities, simply visit www.factory52norwood.com. For information on the Hi-Wire Brewing Cincinnati buildout, follow Hi-Wire Brewing on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

About Hi-Wire Brewing

Hi-Wire Brewing is known for producing approachable and balanced lagers and ales, most notably Hi-Pitch Mosaic IPA, Lo-Pitch Hazy IPA, and Pink Lemonade Session Sour Ale, and it boasts an award-winning sour and wild ale program. Founded in Asheville, N.C. in 2013, Hi-Wire has three locations in Asheville – the Big Top Production Facility, Taproom & Event Space and the South Slope Specialty Brewery & Taproom are open now and the third is set to open in November 2021 in the River Arts District – along with taprooms in Durham, N.C., Knoxville, Tenn., Wilmington, N.C., Louisville, Ky., and a Charlotte, N.C., location opening in Spring 2022. Hi-Wire Brewing’s Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup award-winning beers can be found on draft and in cans across North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Alabama, Virginia, and Indiana. To learn more about the company, visit hiwirebrewing.com.

About PLK Communities

Founded by Peter Klekamp in 2001, PLK Communities started out as a real estate management company with a focus on multifamily and industrial properties. Throughout the years, PLK evolved into owning and managing retail, office, and self-storage facilities in the Eastern United States. With the acquisition, redevelopment, and management of multifamily properties, the company focus is centered on exceptional service and distinctive living experiences for residents.

Today, PLK has over 175 full-time associates and manages over 5,600 apartment homes across Ohio and Kentucky. PLK Communities has grown into the largest owner of multifamily units in the Cincinnati Metropolitan Statistical Area while maximizing value across a diverse portfolio of properties.

About Factory 52

Factory 52 is a city within a city, offering cool urban living with historic charisma. What was once Norwood’s US Playing Card Company factory is now being reimagined as a brand-new lifestyle destination for all of greater Cincinnati. Hosting breweries, boutiques, a public market, a bark park, outdoor social areas, delicious eateries, luxury apartments and creative office spaces, this hip re-development is being built around the city’s iconic hundred-year-old clock tower. office spaces, this hip re-development is all being built around the city’s iconic clock tower.

L to R: Adam Charnack (Hi-Wire Brewing Co-Owner), Chris McLain (Hi-Wire Brewing Chain Account Manager), Chris Frosaker (Hi-Wire Brewing Co-Owner), Brian Laggis (Hi-Wire Brewing Sales Director), Ali Merritt (Hi-Wire Brewing Area Sales Manager) and Chris Morgan (Hi-Wire Brewing Regional Sales Manager) in front of iconic clocktower at the Factory 52 development in Norwood. (Credit: Peter Weisgerber of Weisgerber Productions)