Micro-brewery in plans for former Guest & Chrimes site

A FANZONE with micro-brewery and New York-style fire hydrant water features are within the plans for the former Guest & Chrimes site.

A £31.6 million grant from the Government’s Towns Fund was confirmed for Rotherham Council in June.

The council’s bid included the aspiration of regenerating the site on Don Street to provide “attractive public spaces and leisure facilities”.

About £4.5 million from the grant is set to transform the area — preserving the tower and creating a “vibrant” area to visit.

Investment proposals say: “The project comprises the development of a new building and public realm, providing space for the expansion of successful local businesses into the town centre.

“There is demand for this space as evidenced by consultation with local businesses, including a micro-brewery, football club fanzone.”

The ideas have been drawn up with Rotherham United and will celebrate the history of the Guest & Chrimes foundry and brassworks.

The firm — opened as Chrimes Brothers in 1843 — manufactured the iconic red New York fire hydrants.

It still had hundreds of employees in the 1960s but closed just before the turn of the century.