- Credibility:
LOGAN SQUARE — A vacant storefront along a booming stretch of Logan Square’s Milwaukee Avenue could soon be home to an “experimental brewery incubator” and taproom.
Pilot Project, a new spot promising “guerrilla brewing,” is looking to open in an existing one-story building at 2140 N. Milwaukee Ave., across from the Congress Theater.
Plans call for a “brewery-type bar” with a side parking lot, according to Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association, the neighborhood group tasked with reviewing the proposal before it goes to the community. The operators are also looking to sell growlers, the group said
Reached by phone Friday, co-founder of Pilot Project Dan Abel wasn’t ready to divulge too many details, but hinted that collaborations are in the works.
“It won’t be unusual to see beers from us on tap, as well as collaborative, creative beers from other brewers,” Abel said.
Abel said about half of the 6,000-square-foot space would be dedicated to brewing and the other half would serve as a taproom. He said to expect light snacks and, eventually, food trucks in the parking lot.
The goal, Abel said, is to “build a facility that’s going to empower the rapidly evolving industry and enable more creativity.”
Abe, who has called Chicago home for about three years now, currently works as director of marketing for Reverb, an online marketplace for musical instruments. He described himself as a “longtime home brewer” with “extremely experimental” taste.
In order to open Pilot Project, the pair must secure a zoning change, which requires approval from the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association, Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) and the surrounding neighbors.
In a letter to Moreno, the neighborhood group said it had reviewed the proposal and is requesting a more detailed drawing of the project. It also requested an approval to lift the alcohol moratorium on the block.
If all goes according to plan and the pair wins necessary approval, Pilot Project will open in early 2019, Abel said.
Credit: GGNADo Logan Square stories matter to you? Subscribe to Block Club Chicago. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.
