NORFOLK, Va. — A brewery that's faced controversy is coming to Norfolk. Tuesday night Norfolk city council approved the conditional use permits required for Armed Forces Brewing Company to operate.
Wednesday, the lights were on and workers were at the site on West 24th Street. Those with the business said they're glad things are moving forward.
"They were allowed to brew for four months after they bought, so the brewery has been running as a brewery for four months, but that ended on November 23," said Timothy Anderson, attorney for Armed Forces Brewing Company. "So the brewery's been idle since November 23. They were really happy to be able to turn everything back on today."
Norfolk
Norfolk city council approves permits for Armed Forces Brewing Co.
This comes after groups of people spoke to the city about 4% interest shareholder and former Navy SEAL Robert O'Neill's alleged homophobic posts on social media.
Some LGBTQ+ community members told News 3 they were disappointed in the city's decision.
"The fact that that's being allowed means the City of Norfolk is okay with having businesses that are not welcoming for everyone," said Stacie Walls, LGBT Life Center CEO.
Walls said Ghent's always been welcoming to her organization, which used to be located just next to where the brewery's going in.
"The reality is, I'm really glad we're not there at this point," said Walls.
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She hopes community members and businesses will take this opportunity to learn more about inclusivity.
As Armed Forces Brewing Company moves forward, the company's faced another snag too.
A city inspection found workers made upgrades to drywall and concrete before getting approval from the city. The company said that is a contractor issue that's being addressed. The city said as of Wednesday, they haven't gotten any new permit applications on the matter.
Company spokespeople said they hope the controversies will die down upon opening.
"You're not going to see Armed Forces Brewery saying certain people can't be there," said Anderson. "They're not going to be discriminatory in any way. Everybody is welcome. I think as that ages the concern about them being bad neighbors or bad fits for the community are going to go down."
The company plans to open its taproom in January 2024.
