New Holland Gets Grant For Final Push To Open In Battle Creek

A near million dollar grant will provide the final boost needed to open New Holland Brewing's Battle Creek location.

In an announcement made yesterday, the Michigan Economic Development Fund awarded a $968,500 Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant for the redevelopment of a property located at 64 West Michigan Avenue, the future sit for New Holland Brewing.

Today’s projects will drive further economic growth to Battle Creek, Flint, and Caro, adding vibrancy to their downtowns and creating a foundation for future economic growth, said Jeff Mason CEO of MEDC, the state’s chief marketing and business attraction arm that administers programs and performs due diligence on behalf of the MSF.

Battle Dog, LLC plans to redevelop the vacant historic building and adjacent surface parking lot into a restaurant with onsite brewing and distilling, as well as a seasonal outdoor beer garden, in downtown Battle Creek. The project is consistent with MEDC’s goal of attracting talent through innovative placemaking and transforming underutilized properties into vibrant areas. In addition, the project meets local objectives by bringing a well-known brewery – New Holland Brewing Co. – and restaurant enterprise into the city to act as a commercial anchor and to provide an additional amenity for the downtown residential units being added throughout the district. The project is expected to result in a total capital investment of $4,065,220, resulting in a $968,500 Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based grant.

New Holland Brewing Company is very excited to see this project come to fruition, after a lot of hard work from the great folks at MEDC, the City of Battle Creek and Battle Creek Unlimited, among others. The support and assistance that we have received throughout this process has been amazing. There is something special about downtown Battle Creek, and we couldn't be happier to be part of it. There has been a tremendous amount of effort put into the revitalization of Battle Creek, and we are honored to help continue making great things happen for this area, said Brett VanderKamp, president and founder of New Holland Brewing.

Local support for the project includes a twelve-year Obsolete Property Rehabilitation Act tax abatement with an estimated value of $995,000, as well as a $265,000 Real Estate Connection grant and a $250,000 Development grant from Battle Creek Unlimited. The project is in a Michigan Geographically Disadvantaged Business Location, and the project qualities for a MCRP grant because the site is a historic resource. The city of Battle Creek is engaged with the MEDC’s Redevelopment Ready Communities program.

We are thrilled to see this project get underway. New Holland Brewing is a solid partner for Battle Creek. Their investment is a testament to the strategy deployed for the redevelopment of Downtown Battle Creek. This is a great complement to several other economic development projects underway or in the pipeline, none of which would be possible without the collaboration from many including the MEDC, BCU, and the City of Battle Creek, said Joe Sobieralski, president and CEO of Battle Creek Unlimited.

New Holland Brewing expects to open their Battle Creek location by this summer.