MBE Set to Build First Distillery in Fort Lauderdale by Black Spirits Producer
MBE Set to Build First Distillery in Fort Lauderdale by Black Spirits Producer
MBE received $2.4 million forgivable loan to help fund construction cost
Victor George Spirits, a nationally certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) was introduced in South Florida in 2019 by Founder and CEO Victor G. Harvey. Harvey has announced that the Fort Lauderdale Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) board voted unanimously to provide a $2,450,000 forgivable loan to help fund the construction cost of a 15,000 square foot, four story facility that will house a distillery, restaurant, cigar bar, whiskey lounge, co-working space and a rooftop bar and lounge located on historic Sistrunk Boulevard.
The funds were approved for Harvey’s development company, Northeast 6th Development. The $2.4 million loan will be used alongside Harvey’s own investment and financing provided by a local bank to help transform a once vibrant area back to a destination where neighborhood residents, out of town visitors and other locals can dine, drink, and tour the distillery, tasting new and unique craft spirits. The cost of the total project will be about $4.2 million.
“As our core brand VG continues to grow nationwide, we are committed to helping our own city grow, particularly the Sistrunk corridor. This has been a long process, but we stayed the course."
Victor Harvey, Founder and CEO
This new building will be named The Victory Building after the historic Victory Theatre once located on Sistrunk. The historic Sistrunk area was once “The Heart and Soul of the City” and Fort Lauderdale’s oldest African American community. Sistrunk Boulevard is named in honor of pioneering Black physician, Dr. James Franklin Sistrunk. Dr. Sistrunk is the founder of Provident Hospital, Broward County’s first Black hospital.
#
About FSMSDC
The Florida State Minority Supplier Development Council (FSMSDC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing access and growth for minority businesses in Florida. The organization’s goal is to increase purchasing from minority businesses by government entities and corporations, while increasing the operating capacity of minority businesses through hands-on business assistance, training, and access to technology and capital resources. Founded in 1975, the FSMSDC is one of 23 regional councils affiliated with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). The FSMSDC acts as a liaison between corporate America and certified Minority Business Enterprises in the state of Florida.
