Despite a brief rain shower just before the ceremony, spirits were high Friday afternoon as owners and county officials broke ground on the new Charles Village Pub in downtown Towson.
Just over six months after a fire destroyed the popular pub, County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, Towson Chamber of Commerce executive director Nancy Hafford, and councilmen David Marks and Todd Huff joined owners Rick Bielski and Eric and Melanie Wagner to ceremonially begin construction of the new pub on Pennsylvania Avenue.
"It's been quite a journey," Bielski said during the ceremony. "In the six months we've been out, many people have shared their memories and stories with us. It certainly has touched a lot of people, and we look forward to rebuilding. The support that we have received has been overwhelming."
Kamenetz said that the county has ensured a smooth permit process in order to get the rebuilding process under way.
"What's nice here is that this business is really a part of the community," Kamenetz said. "I know that before the ashes had even cooled, they were working hard to rebuild. Six months later, we're already breaking ground."
For the owners, it's been a busy six months. Eric Wagner said they're excited to finally get the project rolling.
All of the permits are in for the project, and Wagner hopes to begin excavation for what Marks called a "very attractive new building" next week.
The new Charles Village Pub will feature aspects of the old one, as well as several new features. The new design will include an upstairs area with more of a "club feel" than the pub-style main bar, and a new rooftop deck that will be one of the first of its kind in the area.
Wagner said the new features would attempt to cater to not only college-aged patrons, but the working-class happy-hour crowd as well. The new additions to the pub will also mean more jobs for the area, with anywhere between 12 and 22 additional employees needed to staff the new Charles Village Pub.
No matter the target crowd, everyone present agreed that having the pub back in Towson is a step in the right direction.
Hafford said during the ceremony that the Charles Village Pub has a special place in the hearts of not just Towson University students, but also alumni, local businessmen and the surrounding communities.
"It's great to see that the Charles Village Pub is coming back better than ever," Hafford said. "I spoke to Rick Bielski the day after the fire, and there was no hesitation for him. He was always coming back to Towson."