A Broome County craft brewer that's preparing to open a site in the Oakdale Mall now is looking to set up an establishment in downtown Binghamton.

Beer Tree Brew Co. of Port Crane hopes to open its Johnson City site by the end of summer.

The former Sears store in the Oakdale Mall will be used by Beer Tree Brew Co. after construction work has been completed. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
The former Sears store in the Oakdale Mall will be used by Beer Tree Brew Co. after construction work has been completed. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Co-founder Chris Rhoades says the company has leased a 3,000-square-foot space on Washington Street downtown.

The location is part of the 20 Hawley Street complex that had been built as part of Marine Midland Plaza in the early 1970s. It's just north of the Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena.

Chris Rhoades of Beer Tree Brew Co. during a radio interview on March 9, 2020. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Chris Rhoades of Beer Tree Brew Co. during a radio interview on March 9, 2020. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
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Speaking on WNBF's Binghamton Now program, Rhoades said Beer Tree plans to bring "a different style of food" not currently available in the Binghamton area.

Rhoades said some brewing is planned for the site. He said Beer Tree intends to create a "souring facility" to produce "barrel-aged sours with a lot more complexity" than the company is currently making.

Rhoades said work at the downtown location could get underway in the "next couple of weeks."

Meanwhile, construction is moving forward in the former Sears building at the north end of the Oakdale Mall.

Rhoades said Beer Tree, which opened in Port Crane in October 2017, has expanded at its original site. He said the company plans to do some brewing at all three Broome County locations.

Beer Tree Brew Co. opened on Route 369 in Port Crane in 2017. Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News
Beer Tree Brew Co. opened on Route 369 in Port Crane in 2017. (Photo: Bob Joseph/WNBF News)
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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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