The past 2 weeks have been the most exciting for us thus far. Walking in to the once barren space, has now evolved in to a pretty striking skeleton of the pub. Amazing how throughout the many phases of construction, how one’s perception of size and spatial relationships fluctuates as we go: first the space was HUGE!, then got trenched and felt smaller, then framing went up and drew our attention to the height of the walls, then as framing progressed we realized the “coziness” of certain areas we never actualized before- in a good way!

Here’s what we’ve been able to accomplish this week on the construction-end:

* Mezzanine/ brewery cold room framed
* In-wall electrical & plumbing rough
* In-wall blocking
* In-wall inspections (passed)
* Frame Furrdowns for “Event” area and above “bar”
* Overhead electrical/ mechanical/ plumbing/ gas rough
* Air handlers & condensers set on roof
* Electrical & pull wire initial set
* Hollow metal frames set
* First-side sheetrock on “behind bar” area, “dartboard” wall, and mezzanine!

In the coming weeks, we can expect wrapping up sheetrock installation, wallboard inspection, and getting the air ON! so we can begin the tape & floating for the walls!

If you are ever in the area, please don’t hesitate to “drop-in,” put on a hard-hat and take a quick tour of the space. Our internal office is across from the brewpub, within the development, in suite #3103.

Remember to sneak-a-peek of our construction progress HERE at our gallery on facebook. It is truly exciting to see what you all have contributed and continue to contribute to aid in making all this happen!!! Thank you for your continued support!

-Karinne

Don’t forget about the Summer Membership Drive! If you refer three new member-owners (a couple counts as two) during May and June, you get a free Black Star t-shirt or cap. As a reminder, we have a goal of 2,000 member-owners before the doors open and we’re getting close. At the time of this post, we are just over 1,750 strong and growing everyday.

I’ve been keeping track of referrals and will contact you to claim your prize. So remember to make sure your friends, loved ones, family members, neighbors, and strangers list your name in the “referred by” section of their membership application.

Here’s member-owner Allison in her sweet new shirt!

Great news! Through our offering of Member-Investor Shares we’ve now raised over $200,000 and are currently 54% of the way toward the total investment goal!

With construction under way, the clock is ticking and we’ve got $172,500 left to raise. That means we need every member-owner who can make an investment in these Shares to do so as soon as possible. Give us a call at (512) 452-BEER or email invest@blackstar.coop to make an investment today.

We are still hosting weekly Investor Q&A Forums each Thursday from 5-7 PM at our development office. If you’ve been thinking about the offering and want to tour the space, your time is running out. Soon it will be an off-limits construction zone, so plan on joining us this Thursday, May 13th.

Again, if you have any questions about the offering or are ready to make an investment, please give us a call at (512) 452-BEER.

For the months of May and June, refer three members and get a free Black Star Co-op shirt or cap! We only have a few months to reach our goal of 2,000 members before we open. As of this writing, the Co-op is nearing 1,700 member-owners and can only reach the goal if we all work together.

Make sure your friends, family members, co-workers, loved ones, and strangers list your name in the referred by section of their membership application so you get credit.

As soon as you’ve accrued three referrals, we’ll get in touch about whether you’d like a t-shirt or cap and where to send it.

As of Monday morning we’ve welcomed 85 new member-owners to the Co-op during our Spring Membership Drive. That leaves just 15 to go toward our goal of 100 by the end of March. Remember, each new member-owner who joins during the membership drive will receive a free mug and keychain bottle opener. Join today!

The Co-op grew by 48 new members during the first week of our Spring Membership Drive! That’s 48 down, 52 to go.

As a reminder, we set a goal to get 100 new member-owners this month and aim to have 2,000 members by the time we the brewpub opens.  For the month of March, each new member gets a Black Star Co-op mug and bottle-opener keychain. Let’s keep the momentum going by telling our friends, family, and loved ones to join the Co-op today!

Last week the Workers’ Assembly hosted the first Investor Q&A Happy Hour at our development office. A little more than twenty people came by to hear more about our offering of Member-Investor Shares with a some new members joining the Co-op and some members coming by to sign subscription agreements. The night was a big success, and we look forward to hosting weekly Investor Q&A Happy Hours on Thursday evening from 5-7pm while we raise the funds necessary to complete the build-out of our brewpub.

This week we mailed out the prospectus containing the terms and disclosures of the  current offering of Member Investor Shares. Look for it in your mailbox and expect a call from one of the members of the Workers’ Assembly some time soon. As previously mentioned, we are hosting weekly Investor Q&A Happy Hours on Thursday evenings from 5-7 p.m. in the development office beginning March 11th. This is a time to hear more about the offering, ask questions, and sign contracts.

We are also hosting a Green Building Investment Forum on Saturday, March 6 from 2-4 in the development office. This meeting is specifically aimed at getting involvement from the environmental community and will focus on our goal of achieving LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Many guest in attendance will be unfamiliar with Black Star, so if you choose to attend this event, please be aware we’ll also cover the basic Co-op membership information you already know.

Again, we aim to raise $375,000 to cover the costs of construction and start-up funds. If you are able, this is the time to make a larger contribution to your Co-op. The sooner the funds are raised, the sooner we can be enjoying a tasty beverage in our new brewpub!