Libertine brewery in Morro Bay to be torn down — but it won’t be gone for long
Wondering why the Libertine Brewing Company is closed in Morro Bay? The restaurant is set to be demolished and rebuilt during the next year — and this time, the building will include a hotel.
The pub, located at 801 Embarcadero Road, served everything from beer to brunch and often hosted live music before temporarily closing for the remodel.
The Morro Bay City Council approved the new building design Tuesday.
The owners plan to demolish the 4,677-square-foot building and rebuild a three-story, 5,206-square-foot building in its place, according to a city staff report.
The first floor of the new Libertine will include an improved restaurant and coffee shop, while the second floor will feature a hotel with seven units, the staff report said.
Libertine will also expand its basement for restaurant use, according to the staff report.
The original building was 25 feet tall, and the new building will be the same height.
Morro Bay’s Waterfront Master Plan limits building height to 17 feet, but the City Council is allowed to approve the construction of buildings up to 25 feet tall if the developer offers public benefits with their project, according to the staff report.
The owners of Libertine offered a a 15-foot-wide walkway along the harbor, agreed to replace a nearby public boat dock and build a public viewing deck on the second floor of the building, the staff report said.
Additionally, the owners offered to build a public plaza complete with benches and bike racks between the restaurant and Rose’s Landing.
The Morro Bay City Council did ask Libertine to postpone construction of the plaza until it formulates a plan with the city to relocate parking spaces that would be demolished to build the plaza, Morro Bay planning manager Cindy Jacinth said.
Now that the city approved a building permit for the project, Libertine’s owners must additionally obtain a coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission before it can move forward, according to Jacinth.
This means constriction won’t start for at least six to nine months, she said.
