Raleigh brewpub planning to reopen after repairs
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- Andrew Leager can finally see the warehouse floor underneath the Boylan Bridge Brewpub.
"We've still got probably 5 or 6 months of work to do, but it's underway," he said.
Crews have been cleaning for weeks after an old sprinkler pipe burst in February, sending a wall that supports the brewery's outdoor patio crashing to the ground.
Read more: Water main break shuts down Raleigh brewpub
"The water was up 8-feet deep in this excavation area behind the wall. They took out 16 dump truck loads of mud and rubble," said Leager.
The pub was not damaged on the inside, but city inspectors declared the rest of the building unsafe.
Leager was just weeks away from opening the Hargett Hill Distillery and Boylan Barrelworks, two side-businesses that depend on the bar's success, but those plans were put on hold.
"People pester me on the sidewalk, 'When are you going to be open again, man?'" he laughed.
Leager says it won't be long before the bar reopens, and he is throwing a huge party to make it happen.
He plans to sell 12,000 pints of beer for just one dollar each at a 'recovery rally' starting next month.
"We have 49 barrels of beer that's in cold storage up there. It's chilled. It's under pressure. We don't want it to go bad," he said.
The money raised will help pay for the losses that insurance won't cover.
Upgrades are also in the works, including an outdoor fireplace and a little something extra.
Leger found old, 16 mm films buried under the debris.
He is now working to clean them up for a new family night.
"It's the best thing that's ever happened to us because it allows us to strengthen our relationship with the community," he said. "It's going to be alright."
Mayday: Stave Off the Cave In' is May 1st, but the dollar pints will be available all month long or until the beer runs out.
