As the transformation of the historic Threefoot Building continues in downtown Meridian, beer lovers may be able to sip in its shadow at a brewery named after the 16-story icon.

The owners of Threefoot Brewing Company hope to open in their own historic space on 23rd Avenue near city hall next summer.

“I looked at probably 30 properties and it just worked out that this was the best and it was the last place we looked at,” said John Purdy, co-owner of Threefoot Brewing Company. “It’s just kind of romantic to me that we are actually in the shadow of the Threefoot Building.”

The company began in 2017 and its brews are available in 65 Mississippi counties, Purdy said. 

Although they have been working with distributors, Purdy and his wife and co-owner Bridget plan to brew on-site and offer food and an outdoor beer garden.

The 10,000 square-foot building was constructed in 1924 and was once a Merchants and Farmers Bank, according to the Meridian Historic Preservation Commission. 

The owners have begun demolition and plan to start renovations next year, maintaining much of the existing architecture, John Purdy said. 

He envisions beer tanks lined up behind a wall of pink marble, across from the former bank’s night deposit vault and hopes to brew 16 different types of beer within the first year.

The couple has partnered with Rebecca Combs-Dulaney, an investor who purchased the property and has plans for two furnished two-bedroom apartments on the top floor. 

“The significance about this whole thing is not necessarily restoring an old building, but the fact that this is a young couple who have returned to Meridian to invest in Meridian and raise their family here,” she said.

The Purdys hope to create a family environment, with games and activities in the space, while keeping the focus on beer.

“I think we’re just excited about being a part of downtown revitalization,” Bridget Purdy said. “We hope that we can be a part of that and that we can continue to help downtown Meridian grow and progress and be what it once was. It used to be a thriving city, a thriving downtown.”

The nearby Threefoot Building is expected to reopen as a hotel in November 2020, according to the architect for the project.