Big Spring Spirits to open distillery, public marketplace near Pittsburgh's Station Square

Development near Station Square on Pittsburgh’s South Side has already brought apartment complexes, offices and a highline park overlooking the Monongahela River. Next up is a planned six-story complex with a craft distillery, a public marketplace showcasing local vendors and a rooftop bar with views of the Downtown skyline.

The Distillery at South Shore is the latest project from Big Spring Spirits and a group of investors including Cedarcove Capital Ventures, Parkway Service and G&B Consulting Partners. In 2017, the partners bought the historic Joseph S. Finch & Co. building, which originally was a pre-Prohibition whiskey distillery.

Eric Kraemer, principal at Cedarcove Capital Ventures, said he had hoped to have the redevelopment open by now, but the pandemic made obtaining financing more difficult. The pause allowed the partners to bring on Centre County-based Big Spring Spirits and expand the scope of the project.

“We would have loved to have brought it out two years ago, but we are excited to bring it out soon,” said Kraemer.

Located on McKean Street between the Liberty Bridge and a rail bridge used by light-rail cars, the $22 million project will include $17 million for construction and restoration of the Joseph S. Finch & Co. building and $5 million to renovate the interior to house a farm-to-table convenience store, an artisan marketplace, a cigar bar, a 400-person event space and a galley-style restaurant concept. Kraemer said financing for the project should be completed early this month.

The Distillery at South Shore held a successful crowdfunding campaign with East Liberty-based Honeycomb Credit that has raised more than $129,000 to bring in local vendors to the redevelopment.

Kraemer said that four local restaurants have signed on for space inside the complex: Brazilian restaurant Casa Brasil, the regional chain Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream, Caribbean restaurant 2 Sisters 2 Sons and the Aspinwall-based Botanical Vegan Cafe & Market. He said there also will be restaurants featuring barbecue and pizza and Italian food, but those plans have yet to be specified.

The building also will house a Big Spring Spirits distillery and bottling center, as well as a tasting room, a farm-to-table convenience store, a deli and a local butcher.

The rooftop bar, named The Finch as an homage to the former whiskey distillery, will be on the sixth floor and be open year-round. Kraemer said it will have glass garage doors to provide views of Pittsburgh’s skyline, and the doors can be opened during warmer weather.

Bringing a distillery and bottling center to Pittsburgh is part of Big Spring Spirits’ expansion plans throughout Pennsylvania. Kraemer said the goal is to add up to three distilleries and 15 tasting rooms across the state.

Kraemer said the partners hope to have everything open by spring of 2023.