The Challenge:

Finding a suitable manufacturing facility in urban Alexandria, Virginia, for Port City Brewing, a local craft brewery—the first in the city since prohibition!—was a tall order.  Over the previous decade, many of the city’s commercial properties had come under economic pressure for redevelopment into residential or higher density uses, leaving the city with significantly reduced number of industrial properties.  An optimal location would hold the appropriate zoning, provide tractor-trailer access, and remain in close proximity to the city’s residential population to support brewery tours and a retail tasting room.

The Result:

TARTAN partnered with this hometown start-up to find the perfect facility for its operations.  The process began with the development of a list of possible locations, both on- and off-market, and a cold-calling campaign to brokers and owners.  After a year of focused searching, TARTAN found the building Port City Brewing now calls home.  In subsequent years, TARTAN helped expand the operation by securing an additional 12,000 sf of cold storage on the same street.  Port City is now the premier craft beer in the region, with a tasting room that is a local favorite for fundraising events and community gatherings.  We are proud that, in 2015, Port City was named Small Brewery of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival!