Kennesaw Tap and Market is coming to 2881 N Main Street, where the owners of Chamblee Tap and Market are preparing to rehabilitate the historic three story J. G. Lewis Building (Collier Building) in the middle of downtown.
The Kennesaw Development Authority approved the building sale in April. Now there is a new 12 to 18 month rehabilitation timeline along with a package of proposed financial incentives to move the long vacant building toward a new life.
12 to 18 Month Rehabilitation
HEYKIM2, LLC is purchasing the property and calling it Kennesaw Tap and Market, with Chamblee Tap and Market cofounders David Heymann and Jeff Kimmel behind the project.
Full rehabilitation of the roughly 10,300 square foot building is expected to take 12 to 18 months. The timeline reflects the scale of the job. This is a 1903 building with three floors, 30 years of vacancy, and a considerable amount of work that needs to be done.
Incentives for the Redevelopment
The Downtown Development Authority approved an incentive package that includes a 20 year property tax abatement and forgiveness of the $100,000 the authority contributed toward the purchase of 2881 N Main Street. The agreement includes performance standards tied to the redevelopment timeline. Grant payments are connected to construction progress, including building permits and issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy.
On August 19, when the Kennesaw Development Authority considered ratification of the incentive package, the proposal received three votes in favor and one against. Authority action requires four affirmative votes, so the motion failed despite receiving support from three of the four members in attendance. The matter is not dead though because the same proposal appears on the agenda for the Kennesaw Development Authority’s September 1 meeting, setting up another potential vote on the incentives for the project.
What Is Planned for Kennesaw?
The final concept for the building has not been announced.
Chamblee Tap and Market opened in 2024, pairing a taproom with a market that includes South End Smokehouse BBQ, Sidecar Coffee, and Smash Kitchen. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the Chamblee location also hosts live music. Despite having “Tap” in the name, it is not a brewery, and the taproom is only a part of the operation. Coffee, barbecue, daytime meals, food hall vendors, and entertainment may prove equally important in Kennesaw, where three floors provide considerably more room for the concept to expand.
After years of uncertainty surrounding one of downtown Kennesaw’s most recognizable vacant buildings, 2881 N Main Street now has a rehabilitation timeline, an incentive agreement in progress, construction milestones, and city approvals moving the Kennesaw Tap and Market project toward the next phase.
No opening date has been announced.
Address:
Kennesaw Tap and Market
2881 N Main St
Kennesaw, GA 30144
I love seeing Main Street come back to life again! This will be another great addition to our always growing city. So excited!!!
I’m glad to hear Reformation is coming! I heard a rumor they pulled out. I’ve been a downtown resident for 23 years and couldn’t be happier with how the city is coming along. if it really happens this time!
I am very sad to have a brewery in that building. We have another one just a few steps down the road. Yes, it would be a nice hangout place as opposed to have the building empty. Anyhow, I am happy the building will be renovated and used to improve the get together space of Kennesaw community.
It is not a brewery. People hear “Tap” and immediately think beer, but the market side may end up being the more interesting part. Coffee, breakfast and lunch, bbq, food hall vendors, and live music are all part of the Chamblee concept. With three stories and much more space than Chamblee, the Kennesaw location could have plenty to offer beyond beer.
Please do something with WildMan’s area!!
Things are in motion for something new in that spot too. Details hopefully coming soon.
I am happy to hear this. Every time I look at that building I say to myself that could be a beautiful historic building. Instead it’s a run down mess, an embarrassment to the rest of the updated downtown. Thank you for moving forward on something that will renovate and make this a (hopefully) an attractive space.
Agreed. It is a beautiful historic building and no doubt it will look amazing when they are finished with it.
Excellent news! It’ll be great to see an old building renovated and brought back to life again.
That’s great news. What about that eyesore that’s attached to it?
Closed since last year. Hopefully redeveloped soon.
Hate the sign. No parking around area. Not happy about bunch of folks who have been out drinking hanging around or driving around speed limit is low,tickets could bring in some revenue. I hope folks have fun but stay respectful to our beautiful city. Tax breaks excessive, trash and volume of people sounds like a lot.
Not their sign, just our headline overlay. New parking lot coming soon at the former library on Lewis Street. Filling a building with new life after sitting vacant for 30 years is a positive, and the “and Market” part likely means more food options for downtown.