Boulevard Brewing Co. says it will soon break ground on a $10 million expansion of its Kansas City brewery. The project, consisting of a 24,000-square-foot, single-story structure to be built on land immediately adjacent to the brewery, will house a canning line designed to fill 350 12-ounce cans per minute, providing Boulevard with years of runway for its rapidly accelerating can business.
“Demand for our canned beers has continued to grow since we first offered them in 2014,” said Boulevard brewmaster Steven Pauwels. “Ten years ago it was uncommon to find craft beer in cans, but today it’s a popular package. We’re happy to oblige because cans completely block light, they’re lighter than bottles so easier to transport and they can go almost anywhere.”
The expansion is being overseen by Dali Grabar and Tim Hall, engineering directors for Boulevard. “We have an aggressive schedule,” said Grabar, “but plan to be producing cans by the first quarter of next year.” Finkle + Williams serves as the project architect, Kansas City-based MillerStauch Construction will act as general contractor, and key equipment will be supplied by Krones AG.
