BANGOR, Maine — A brew house that debuted recently at Geaghan’s Pub on Main Street reportedly has been well received by the community — well enough to warrant the addition of 25 parking spaces.
And the demand for parking is projected to grow even more as the result of development projects under way next door and across the street.
Larry Geaghan and Peter Geaghan, who along with other family members opened Geaghan Brothers Brewing Co., have been meeting with city officials recently to hammer out a deal for the purchase of abutting city land for the parking lot expansion.
“We’ve only been there for about a month but we’ve had tremendous success,” Larry Geaghan said Wednesday night. “We’re very pleased with the response to that part of the business.”
As it stands, the existing parking area barely can accommodate the Friday and Saturday night crowds, some of whom stay and some of whom drop by to pick up a pound or two of wings and a couple of growlers to take home, he said.
The demand for parking likely will increase in the near future, Geaghan said.
“With the addition of [ table gaming at Hollywood Casino Bangor], we think we’re going to see added business there,” he said. “And we also obviously feel that with the arena coming in, there’s no question we’re sitting right in the spot.”
The result of those negotiations was an option agreement that was reviewed — and given a tentative green light — Wednesday night by members of the City Council’s business and economic development committee, who forwarded it on to the full council for approval.
The agreement would allow the Geaghans to buy a roughly 8,900-square-foot parcel of the city’s Roundhouse development site at Bangor Waterfront for $12,540, the dollar value set by the city assessor, Rod McKay, director of community and economic development, told committee members. The option fee was set at $1,500.
As conditions, the Geaghans would have to get the parcel rezoned and obtain the necessary permits. The parking area’s retaining wall also must be consistent with the ones built by Hollywood Casino and Tim Horton.
Larry Geaghan said the family plans to start work on the lot this spring or summer.
This is a GREAT story!! It’s so nice to see a local company making good. And if you haven’t been in to try their new brews, I highly suggest you stop in and give them a try! DELICIOUS! Can’t come home without a growler when I’m in the Bangor area now!
Yet another job creator suffering under crippling regulation and confiscatory taxation I see.
Unregulated growth is chaos and costly in the end.
I think you may be ‘seeing’ through cataracts.
Unregulated growth? Because government doesn’t have it’s greedy, filthy fingers into it doesn’t mean it is without regulation. Market forces are the most efficient regulators not corrupt politicians.
Okay then, we’ll just let anybody build anything they want, wherever they want, however they want. That’s the ticket!
“Okay then, we’ll just let anybody build anything they want, wherever they want, however they want. That’s the ticket!”
-Of course it is. If people do not want it built it won’t be. Vote with your wallet. Nobody is going to establish a business where there is no clientele.
Look around. Bureaucratic hacks and the system of heavy handed regulation, high taxes and big government has made this state a barren landscape. If you don’t want to work in a restaurant or wipe the backsides of old people you are S.O.L in the area of job opportunity.
The state is nothing but a barrier to businesses evident in the amount of paperwork, fees, permits, taxes and permissions these poor folks have to endure just to gain 25 parking spaces.
De-regulation led us to the economic collapse. Enough said.
De-regulation, Bangorian?? De-regulation implies NO regulation. Are you implying the economy is without government intervention and has zero regulations?
There is an argument to be made in favor of your comment.
Not one new airline that was given birth during the deregulation heyday’s of the late 70’s survived. Deregulation in the airline industry has resulted in every legacy carrier filing for bankruptcy, mergers and/or extinction.
Not all deregulation is good.
It’s difficult for me to see how the city of Bangor or any other government agency is hampering development. These guys are benefitting from the waterfront development, Casino, and soon to be new auditorium. Didn’t the city promote all of that? And oh ya, they work really hard all the time.
I guess y’all didn’t detect the sarcasm here.
Sounds like these people work hard and plan well…. plus, reasonable regulations, an improving economy and smart investment (arena) made this possible…….. and with all those capitol improvements, taxes won’t be a problem for quite a while……
Their growth is based strictly on their amazing beer and delicious wings. Smiling irish Bast@rd:twitter ale is absolutely phenomenal. They got a great product and a wonderful staff. no one else deserves any credit for their success.
Nice to see happen and I wish them continued success.