A former glass plant that was once the cornerstone of East Deer’s economy soon will be the new home of Iron City Beer, according to Pittsburgh Brewing Co.

The company plans to move its production to a new brewery on the site by next year.

Almost 200 people lost their jobs in 2018 when Pittsburgh Glass Works closed the plant at 150 Ferry St. in East Deer’s Creighton neighborhood.

Cliff Forrest, owner of the Kittanning-based Rosebud Mining Co., bought the shuttered plant in 2019. Forrest has owned Pittsburgh Brewing since 2018.

How much Forrest is investing in East Deer has not been disclosed, company spokeswoman Anna Angotti said.

“He is investing a decent amount in order to make this a really nice brewery, a really nice facility,” she said.

The maker of Pittsburgh’s iconic Iron City Beer had faced financial hardships under a string of owners for more than a decade. Its original brewery in Pittsburgh’s Lawrenceville neighborhood closed in 2009 after 148 years.

Its beers have been brewed by a third party ever since — at a Latrobe facility owned by Wisconsin-based City Brewing Co.

Moving operations back to a facility owned and operated by Pittsburgh Brewing is a major step in rebuilding the brand, company spokesman Ben Butler said.

“From a brewing perspective, you definitely want it all under one roof if you can,” he said.

Angotti said there should not be any interruption in production in the move from Latrobe to East Deer.

The new brewery will be capable of producing 150,000 barrels a year when it opens in 2022, according to Butler. That’s about 50% more than currently is produced at the Latrobe facility.

The new site has room for dramatic expansion, up to 750,000 barrels a year, according to the company.

At its height, the historic company once produced more than a million barrels a year.

The company’s flagship beers — Iron City, IC Light, Mango IC Light, Old German Premium Lager, American and American Light, and Block House Brewing Summer Break — now all made in Latrobe will be produced at the new facility, Angotti said.

IC Light is the company’s biggest brand.

“There’s an opportunity for doing some brand innovation as well,” Angotti said. “We haven’t finalized or discussed anything specific at this time.”

Most of Pittsburgh Brewing’s sales are in Western Pennsylvania, although Angotti said it does have some sales in other states. It will be looking to broaden its distribution in addition to increasing production volume but has no specific plans yet.

“Our main goal right now is getting the facility up and running and producing the beer,” she said.

Butler said it’s too early to tell how many jobs will be created by the new operation.

The company’s corporate offices will remain in Lawrenceville, and plans are in the works to build a taproom on the site of the original brewery.

East Deer Commissioners Chairman Tony Taliani said township leaders will meet with Pittsburgh Brewing officials soon.

“We’re very happy to hear this,” he said. “The individual that owns that company is a real outstanding type of guy, and he’s done great things in his community. We’re happy to have him moving into East Deer Township. It fills a void, because we really took it on the chin when that glass plant moved out.”

When it closed in 2018, the Pittsburgh Glass Works’ Creighton plant was 135 years old, the oldest in the country. It originally was owned by the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co., now PPG Industries.

After the plant closed, the site presented significant problems for its new owner — particularly an underground coal fire that had been burning since 2017.

At least 85% of the fire has burned out, said Lauren Fraley, a spokeswoman with the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“The fire is contained, continues to wane and is expected to slowly burn out on its own. The area that currently has a fire beneath the ground is limited to a small section of the gravel area east of the buildings on the site,” she said.

Angotti said all buildings that had been affected by the fire have been torn down.

“The small area that remains burning may be excavated and extinguished if future construction activities at the site dictate,” Fraley said. “The property owner would need to coordinate with DEP if they have plans to extinguish the remaining fire.”

Despite these obstacles, the former glass plant was a good fit for a new facility, Butler said.

“To find a facility of this size in Allegheny County is near impossible,” he said. “It’s hard to find a space that checks the boxes like this one did.”

More than a brewery?

It eventually could be more than a brewery.

The company has plans to open an adjoining restaurant, outdoor event venue, beer museum and marina. With 40 acres available, there is room for growth, although these additions are likely several years down the road, according to Butler.

“We could create something really cool here that can be an attraction that people will come from all over to see,” he said.

Taliani said he believes this will be a major step in the right direction for the region.

“I’m certain that the addition of (Pittsburgh Brewing Co.) and whatever other plans they have in mind will bring that property back, and be an asset to the Allegheny Valley and East Deer Township,” he said.

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)