Batavia City Council gives final approval for Grainology Brewstillery

Batavia City Council members gave final approval for a conditional use permit for Grainology Brewstillery, which will allow for the new Batavia watering hole to have a massive 9,571-square-foot distillery and taproom.

The June 20 action comes after the Committee of the Whole recommended the approval at its June 13 meeting.

“It’s all great to see you all having the vision of creating avenues for new business opportunities in this wonderful city we all share,” Grainology co-owner Michael Read said.

Earlier this year, Read and co-owner Jason Kelly sought a conditional use permit allowing them to open a more than 5,000-square-foot brewery and taproom at 131 Flinn St., according to meeting documents.

According to the documents, the approval will allow for the location of a brewery and distillery with a taproom in the downtown mixed use zoning district.

“The city would see a positive impact through the repurposing of an existing vacant space in a historical building that would attract additional customers into the downtown, along with additional employment,” according to the documents.

Read said during the June 13 meeting that the distillery is expected to open this fall and will include an outdoor patio to be built next year.

“Our current projected [opening] timeline with some contingencies is Nov. 15, plus or minus a month. So this year is the target,” Read said. “We are all about a better living through chemistry, a field-to-fork experience [and] a grain-to-glass experience.”