This level of effort project is intended to provide a structured process to ensure that all Alcohol Beverage Services (ABS) retail store locations are modernized and updated to provide customers with a friendlier shopping experience in well merchandised stores that offer choice, convenience, and knowledgeable staff. Once a retail store has been refreshed, it could offer tasting rooms, growler stations, wider shopping aisles, pairing dinners, other special events, and a more aesthetically pleasing and safer shopping experience. Flooring, painting, shelving, updating restrooms, and work identified for major building systems (including the roof, mechanical/heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), and windows) will be included to "freshen up" the retail stores and ensure working and efficient operating systems.

There was an increase due to an underestimation of the original costs and a subsequent increase in materials and rental costs.

This project is a vital piece of ABS's Five-Year Financial Plan to increase its transfer to the County. Further, this project will give ABS the ability to leverage external funding that will eliminate the need to use debt financing or tax dollars. Many of the retail stores have not been updated for 20 years. Ensuring that ABS is able to execute its multi-year plan to renovate/upgrade its 20 outdated retail stores is key to providing better service to its clientele. This project will also allow ABS to leverage contributions from landlords who will match, and in some cases, exceed the investment ABS will make in each store remodel - an investment the landlords will not commit to without the County funding appropriation.