Elizabeth Mill in Warwick to be razed, redeveloped

THE ELIZABETH Mill Building, part of the Leviton complex at 745 Jefferson Blvd. in Warwick, will be razed and some of its architectural elements incorporated into a new building, under a plan that Warwick officials hope will serve as a development catalyst for the City Centre Warwick district surrounding T.F. Green Airport. / COURTESY GOOGLE MAPS
THE ELIZABETH Mill Building, part of the Leviton complex at 745 Jefferson Blvd. in Warwick, will be razed and some of its architectural elements incorporated into a new building, under a plan that Warwick officials hope will serve as a development catalyst for the City Centre Warwick district surrounding T.F. Green Airport. / COURTESY GOOGLE MAPS

WARWICK – The historic Elizabeth Mill will be razed and some of its architectural elements incorporated into a new building, under a plan that Warwick officials hope will serve as a development catalyst for the City Centre Warwick district.

The plan would create a four-story, 300,000-square-foot building with modern efficiencies, suitable for retail, office and residential space, according to Mayor Scott Avedisian. The mill’s cast iron stairs, doors and bricks will be incorporated into a new structure.
Michael Integlia & Company, an engineering and construction management firm, will market the conceptual plan. For more than a year, the company tried unsuccessfully to market the historic mill building, which dates back to 1875. Avedisian said he felt confident the new plan would be more successful. The main building of the mill, which made electrical switches, has been empty for nearly 20 years. Its ceiling heights were so tall that the height of each floor effectively would have had to have been cut in half to develop into a new space, he said.
“We would have loved to be able to keep the mill, but we understand some buildings aren’t suitable for adaptive reuse,” he said.
Said Avedisian, “This project will strengthen our local economy by bringing additional tax revenue to our city and creating jobs. Additionally, it will enable us to attract other development in this area and in City Centre Warwick. Not all buildings are ultimately suitable for adaptive re-use, and, while the decision has been made to raze the mill, I thank Mike for his efforts to creatively incorporate so many of its structural elements into the design of the new building. These pieces will stand as a reminder of our state’s manufacturing history and of the individuals who worked on this site and helped to shape our community. The new building will be a modern building designed for the needs of a 21st century growth center, but will honor the heritage of the mill.”

Redevelopment of the former mill is a critical piece in the city’s plans to refashion the area around T.F. Green Airport. The neighborhood stretching from Post Road across Jefferson Boulevard, now being called City Centre Warwick, includes the site of the mill. The prominence of the mill structure and its location makes it a focal point.
“It is incredibly important to have something going over there because it’s across from the train station,” said Avedisian. “We’re looking for this to be the catalyst.”

Avedisian noted that development of a “business innovation district” is a critical component to the success of City Centre Warwick. The clustering of target industries in the district, together with open space and recreational facilities and infrastructure improvements, are an added draw to investors and developers and will enhance efforts to revitalize the 95 acres comprising City Centre Warwick, according to information from the mayor’s office.

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The City Centre Warwick Master Plan calls for development of a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use development with multi-modal access opportunities, including T.F. Green Airport, Interstates 95 and 295, the MBTA commuter rail, rental car facilities, Amtrak and bus service.

The five-acre mill site is part of the former 86-acre Leviton property, which Integlia sought and received approval last year to subdivide into five separate parcels. One parcel is now headquarters of Dean Warehousing Corporation; another 25-acre parcel will be held as open space in perpetuity; another six-acre parcel fronts Kilvert Street and a seven-acre parcel is being developed as a new “Class A” office building with up to 125,000 square feet of office space.

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