Brewery space on West Main up for lease again

When the Lark on Main building opened in 2016, one of the first tenants was Hardywood Craft Brewery of Richmond. They set up shop in a 4,254 square foot space highly visible to passerby on West Main Street.

However, the brewery closed within two and a half years and the space was soon filled by a similar company, Skipping Rock Beer Company. That business lasted less than a year and the closure was due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The space remained vacant for nearly three years until Devil’s Backbone opened in the space in October 2023. In the summer of 2025, the company suddenly announced the space would be converted for private events only.

Now a commercial real estate broker is advertising that the space is up for lease again. Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer sent out an announcement today with the following specifications:

• Optimal visibility at high foot traffic UVA hard corner
• Turnkey brewery and tap room with existing infrastructure
• Abundant natural light
• Designated outdoor patio included
• Steps from UVA Grounds, The Corner, Charlottesville Downtown Mall and more
• Proximity to numerous student housing developments and hotels

View more information in their flyer.

This vacancy is not captured in a twice-annual list curated by the City’s Department of Economic Development as West Main is not one of the six commercial areas tracked.

Ground floor retail spaces were required as part of the rezonings that enabled Lark on Main, the Flats at West Village, and the building now known as Yugo Crestline. The latter has four retail pads and three of them have never been completed.

Before you go: Paid subscribers cover the cost of conducting research for this article which was originally published in the February 20, 2026 edition of Charlottesville Community Engagement.  You can either subscribe through Substack or make a charitable contribution. The goal of Town Crier Productions is to increase awareness about what is  happening at the local, regional, state, and federal government levels. Please share the work with others if you want people to know things!