The Foundry is a unique multi-tenant development set inside a historic railroad maintenance building, originally built in 1899 for the Rock Island Railroad as a box car repair facility. This innovative project brings together a beer hall, distilling company, and commercial kitchen for food trucks into the city’s first mixed-use industrial development.
Historic elements were touched as lightly as possible, while new elements of glass, raw steel, and reclaimed wood from boxcar floors were inserted. A shipping container was even repurposed into the beer cooler behind the bar. Visually, all three tenants’ spaces were united through common detailing and an industrial aesthetic.
The Foundry’s tenants, while each a separate business, are intended to work together toward a singular experience. The distillery partners with local and regional micro-brewers and features a large viewing window into the Hall. The Hall serves as the public heart of the development with its open bench seating and outdoor patio. The Kitchen serves rotating food truck fare in the Hall, provides a home base for the trucks, and offers a job training program for homeless youth.
