News
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace
Mike Hendricksen
540-908-7528
RELEASE:
6/1/2023
WAYNESBORO'S VIRGINIA METALCRAFTERS BUILDING TRANSFORMS INTO THRIVING MARKETPLACE, UNVEILING NEW MUSIC VENUE AND MORE
One of the Shenandoah Valley’s best-kept secrets is preparing for take-off.
Located adjacent to Basic City Beer Company at 1010 East Main Street on the east end of downtown Waynesboro, the Virginia Metalcrafters Historic District will soon become a versatile, multi-use facility.
Named for the Virginia Metalcrafters Company, which operated out of the multi-section brick factory from 1925 to 2006, producing reproduction hardware for historical sites, including Colonial Williamsburg, Mystic Seaport, and Old Salem, the building was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2015 after being purchased by VM Acquisitions Waynesboro, LLC just two years prior.
Basic City Beer Co. was the first occupant to join the movement as the building is renovated into the Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace, focusing on craftsmanship, and it’s been a massive hit.
Basic began producing beer in the facility in 2016 in the portion of the original foundry and the Showroom but has now expanded to include a unique and growing music venue called The Foundry.
That venue recently opened with a soft launch that included Yonder Mountain String Band and is expected to become a game changer for Waynesboro and the home to big-time music performances in the months and years to come.
Along with The Foundry is a restaurant to serve customers, while Common Wealth Crush occupies another portion of the main building, working with local winemakers to produce batches for their facility. The plan is for a tasting room to open very soon, along with a local coffee roaster.
Mike Hendricksen, a real estate investor, developer, and asset manager who has worked extensively on this project, said the goal now is to fill the remainder of the Virginia Metcalcrafters Marketplace, which features approximately 30,000 square feet of available space on the first level and 20,000 square feet of storage on a lower level, by the end of the year or early in 2024 as construction moves along.
Some of the uses the marketplace aims to provide for the area vary drastically but provide the type of versatility needed in the area. Hendricksen said they’re currently talking to potential retail users, office users, food service providers, R&D users, and some other specialty concepts.
The Foundry has hosted events but is expected to open its restaurant five days a week this summer.
The spacious facility has plenty of long-term potential, with the goal of bringing enough variety and business to the marketplace to attract a wide range of members from around the community.
Whether dropping in for a quick cup of coffee or spending an afternoon at Basic City Beer Co., the facility will aim to provide an area where folks can potentially shop in retail, stop by various offices, and spend an extended amount of time at the facility as it continues to grow in coming months.
The historical importance of the building isn’t lost upon those making the renovations, and those involved said that the character of the facility is what makes it so appealing to consumers.
As businesses and development continue to happen along the east side of Waynesboro, there’s no doubt the up-and-coming Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace will quickly be a well-known stop.
For business owners interested in potentially moving into the space in Waynesboro or for media inquiries, contact Mike Hendricksen at info@vametalcrafters.com or 540-908-7528.
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