New brewpub coming to former Strand location on Hale Street in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä (copy)

Martin, 40, who is moving to ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä from Maryland, said his family has West Virginia roots going back 150 years to his great-grandfather, who was a coal miner in the Beckley area. His parents met at Nitro High School and married here before moving to Florida, where Martin was born.

“I’ve been [plotting] and scheming to move out here for easily over 10 years,� Martin said.

Historic building

He bought the roughly 12,000-square-foot building last May. Formerly, the location housed The Strand on the first level and The Roaring 20s dance club upstairs. Local historian Harry Hamrick said The Strand opened in 1938. It closed in the early 2000s. The Roaring 20s operated in the 1970s and 80s.

The Strand building was the first property Martin looked at in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä. With the history and the location, “it just made sense.â€�

Martin will meet with state officials to try to receive historic rehabilitation tax credits on the building.

The business name, Ursus Brew Works, pays homage to West Virginia’s state animal, the black bear, Martin said. Ursus is the biological classification for the black bear.

Professional brewer

He’s been a home brewer and a professional brewer and has worked in the brewery supply industry.

“I think I’ve got enough of the background to give it a go,� he said.

Martin, who plans to have a three-and-a-half-barrel brewing system, wants to focus on serving his beer at Ursus only, rather than distributing it. He is leaving the option open to distribute within ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä if he wants.

Ursus Brew Works will have a brewpub menu focusing on foods that can be shared, such as a shareable fry order.

Martin will rotate drink options seasonally. His ideas for offerings include:

• United Kingdom-style porter on cask
• West Coast-style IPA
• Golden ale
• Cider
• Draft cocktails, such as a house old fashioned and different types of mules
• A seasonal Belgian beer and German lager
• American wheat beers
• A brewer’s tap featuring whatever beer Martin is working on

“ We’ll have stuff that’s the heavy hitters that are always going to be on there, but then we’ll have, like, seasonal variations or additions and subtractions throughout the year to kind of keep things interesting,� he said.

The downtown crowd

When Ursus opens, Martin wants to draw the crowd from Capitol and Summers streets a block or two east to this area of downtown. The location is in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä’s PODA — the area where to-go drinks can be served and carried.

“ It can be your meeting up spot before you go somewhere else,� Martin said. “It could be your after spot after you’ve done something to come and just kind of top off the night. And if this is the only spot you want to go, that’s great, too. But it’d be nice since there’s so [much] other stuff going, you can just pop in, hang out and continue on and hit up everyone else, too.�

Martin will renovate the second floor with three apartments, including one for himself and one for family.

Construction on the brew pub and apartments could start later this month.

“Hopefully,â€� Martin said, “ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä will treat [Ursus] like their living room.â€�