Phase Three takes Metropolitan space

Phase Three Brewing said Sept. 8 that it had taken over the former Metropolitan Brewing space in Chicago this week, adding a third location to its existing Lake Zurich brewery and Elmhurst taproom. The suburban brewer has already added a Chicago section to its website and says it is preparing the site for celebrations, gatherings and private events while it works on the space. Rockwell on the River, the riverfront complex where Metropolitan operated, now lists “Brewery - Phase Three COMING SOON!” among its tenants. The development describes itself as a mixed-use destination with a marina, event venue, coffee roastery, distillery and restaurant operators. ### Which space did Phase Three take over? The Chicago site is the former Metropolitan Brewing home at Rockwell on the River in Avondale, according to prior local reporting and venue listings. (phasethreebrewing.com) Metropolitan’s longtime taproom address was 3057 N. Rockwell St., and Block Club Chicago reported in August that Phase Three planned to open its first Chicago taproom there later this year. (rockwellontheriver.com) Phase Three’s own Chicago landing page does not spell out the street address in the search excerpt, but it says the company is bringing Phase Three to Chicago and is already planning celebrations, gatherings and private events at the space. The brewer’s main site now lists Chicago alongside its other operating markets. ### What has the company actually announced so far? (blockclubchicago.org) Phase Three has so far made a limited public announcement on its owned channels. The clearest official language on its website is that it is putting the “P3 touch” on the space while looking ahead to events and private bookings. The company’s public site also shows that Chicago has moved from a reported plan to an active location tab, even though operating hours and a full public taproom schedule were not available in the search results reviewed Tuesday. (phasethreebrewing.com) Lake Zurich and Elmhurst remain the only locations with published visit details in the material surfaced by search. ### How does this fit into Phase Three’s footprint? (phasethreebrewing.com) Phase Three’s website lists existing operations in Lake Zurich and Elmhurst, both in the Chicago suburbs, and now includes Chicago as a third market. The Lake Zurich site is described as the brewery and taproom, while Elmhurst is listed as a taproom and kitchen. Block Club Chicago reported on Aug. 6 that the Chicago opening would be the brewer’s first city taproom. (phasethreebrewing.com) That report said the company launched in 2019 and planned to add food at the Chicago site over time, unlike the former Metropolitan setup. ### What is happening at Rockwell on the River now? (phasethreebrewing.com) Rockwell on the River says the complex includes more than 20,000 square feet of artisan, craft and cuisine uses, plus an 18,000-square-foot event space, marina and riverside activities. Its tenant list names Dolce Arte, Soul & Smoke, Metropolis Coffee, Judson & Moore and the incoming Phase Three brewery. The venue’s marketing positions the property as a destination for dining, drinking and events on the river. (blockclubchicago.org) That setting is the same riverfront campus where Metropolitan had operated its taproom. ### What comes next for the Chicago location? Phase Three’s Chicago page says the company is still working on the space and is already looking ahead to celebrations, gatherings and private events. (rockwellontheriver.com) Rockwell on the River separately lists the brewery as “coming soon,” indicating the site is not yet fully open as a regular public taproom. As of Sept. 8, the next concrete public markers are Phase Three’s Chicago webpage and Rockwell on the River’s tenant page, both of which now identify the former Metropolitan site as the brewer’s next opening. (rockwellontheriver.com) (phasethreebrewing.com)