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Office building and retail space planned for Merchant’s Ice Tower in Smoketown

There will be a brewery and distillery, too.

LOUtoday_Merchant Ice tower

The Merchant’s Ice Tower was constructed in 1895.

Photo by LOUtoday

Last July, we shared a $12 million distillery and brewery project planned for the Merchant’s Ice Tower property at 801 Logan St. in Smoketown. Now, another project is in the works for the 13-story tower on the lot itself — a $58 million office building with retail space.

Derby City firm Beargrass Development is behind the new investment and is the same developer working on the brewery and distillery projects in nearby vacant buildings.

The cold storage building next to the tower at 930 Lampton St. will become Ferncliff Distillery and Trellis Brewing Co. will set up shop in former Schaefer-Mayer Brewery and Frank Fehr Brewery buildings at 827 Logan St. Beargrass plans to convert the 190,000-sqft Merchant’s Ice Tower structure into an office building — which has already received some office tenant interest. Who wouldn’t want to work next to a brewery and distillery?

The redevelopment could also include a retail component on the bottom floor and a rooftop bar or restaurant, but nothing is finalized at the moment.

Beargrass is working with another local firm, WorK Architecture + Design on the project — an agency responsible for other projects like Gravely Brewing, The Rabbit Hole Lounge, and Bradford Mills Lofts.

The entire project is expected to be completed in three years.

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