The LECOM Event Center in downtown Elmira is known for hockey, concerts and other activities.
Soon it will be known for something else — craft beer.
Local businessman Marc Stemerman, who owns the arena, announced a new craft brewery, Draft River Brewing Co., will open this fall inside the LECOM Event Center.
The brewery will feature a full taproom, a food menu and dedicated event space, bringing locally-brewed beer and a new gathering place to the heart of Elmira, Stemerman said.
“We want Draft River to be another reason for people to come to downtown Elmira,” said Stemerman, who also owns the new brewery business. “Our goal is to help revitalize it and make it a place people genuinely want to come to — to grab a beer, share a meal, and spend time with their neighbors.”
Construction and build-out planning for the new operation are currently underway, with the project designed to complement the LECOM Event Center’s growing role as a destination for concerts, sporting events, and community gatherings, Stemerman said.
Draft River will offer a rotating lineup of house-brewed beers alongside a menu of locally inspired food that Stemerman hopes will provide a year-round destination for residents and visitors.
Local brewer Pat Palmer will lead the brewing operation. Palmer’s experience includes serving as co-owner, general manager and brewer at Grist Iron Brewing Co. in Burdett.
Plans for the event space include hosting local musicians, themed nights, and other community-focused programming designed to attract more people to downtown Elmira.
While no specific date has been announced for the opening of Draft River Brewing Co., Stemerman said details about the brewery’s beer program, food offerings, and event lineup — along with additional announcements — will be shared in the coming months as the project moves toward opening day.
The downtown arena opened in 2000 as the Coach USA Center before changing its name to the First Arena in 2003, after original naming sponsor Coach USA Transit Services was sold to First Transit.
It was renamed the LECOM Event Center in July 2024 after the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine bought the naming rights in a five-year, $500,000 sponsorship deal.
This article originally appeared on Elmira Star-Gazette: Draft River Brewing Co. will be on tap at Elmira’s LECOM Event Center
Reporting by Jeff Murray, Elmira Star-Gazette / Elmira Star-Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
