Pontiac Mills redevelopment begins

REDEVELOPMENT OF the historic Pontiac Mills into residential and commercial space has begun, according to the project manager. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
REDEVELOPMENT OF the historic Pontiac Mills into residential and commercial space has begun, according to the project manager. / PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

WARWICK – Redevelopment of the historic Pontiac Mills into residential and commercial space has begun, with selective demolition and removal of debris in the buildings that will become its first phase.
The project will ultimately rehabilitate 22 of the 28 buildings in the sprawling mill. The conversion will create a mixture of micro-lofts, one- and two-bedroom apartments, as well as retail space, according to Project Manager Michael Harrington, the owner’s representative on-site.
The Pontiac Mills, which date to the mid-1850s, is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was the original factory for the Fruit of the Loom Company, which produced garments for soldiers in the U.S. Civil War. Unoccupied for several years, the buildings are in a state of decay, but most are salvageable, Harrington said Wednesday in a phone interview.
“I am a huge proponent of saving these mills,” he said. “It’s an exciting project. It’s going to be great for the city of Warwick.
Demolition work to date has included removal of rotting wood floors and debris, according to Harrington, of Warwick-based Dev Con Consultants.
Eventually, the work will include restoration of the bell tower at the center of one of the mill’s largest structures.
On Wednesday afternoon, Warwick officials, including Mayor Scott Avedisian, and developer Larry Silverstein, president of Newport-based Union Mill LLC, a subsidiary of Baltimore-based Union Box Co., were scheduled to announce the start of construction activities.
The project, to play out over three construction phases, will cost about $25 million in construction, the company indicated in 2015, on an application for state historic preservation tax credits. The mill renovation ultimately was approved for $5 million in tax credits.
The six buildings in the first phase are those closest to the NYLO hotel, which was part of the historical mill but sold and redeveloped previously.

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