LINCOLN – A 124-unit housing project broke ground in a long-vacant, former mill building on Monday.
The units, known collectively as Walker Lofts, will occupy three buildings spanning 107,500 square feet on a property that once housed the Sayles Company Dye House.
The adaptive reuse project will include one through three-bedroom apartments, with 32 units reserved for residents making 80% or less of the area median income. The project is slated for completion in the second half of 2027.
Located at 40 Walker St., the complex, overseen by Philadelphia-based Odin Properties, is also within 2 miles of the Pawtucket/Central Falls MBTA train station.
State and local officials gathered with Odin Properties leadership at the former mill buildings on Monday morning for a groundbreaking ceremony, where speakers applauded the development as a step forward in addressing the state's housing progress.
"The adaptive reuse of existing structures – like the Sayles Company Dye House, a local landmark that stood vacant for years – is a fantastic way to add much-needed housing units to our supply while leveraging infrastructure and utilities already in place," said House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi.
"I appreciate that in creating Walker Lofts, Odin Properties and its partners are preserving a significant part of Rhode Island’s history as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution," Shekarchi continued.
“We are extremely pleased to see the Walker Lofts project moving forward with Odin Properties,” said Lincoln Town Administrator Philip Gould. He added that the development "will transform a long-blighted mill – once an eyesore in our community – into beautiful and much-needed housing.
"This adaptive reuse not only helps the town of Lincoln make meaningful progress toward our affordable housing goals," Gould added, "but it also enhances the overall landscape and quality of life for residents in the
Saylesville neighborhood."
The project received funding from RIHousing, R.I. Commerce Corp., state and federal h
istoric tax credits, the Providence Revolving Fund, Lincoln Savings Bank, Monarch Private Capital, WSFS Bank and Tax Incentive Finance.
Once home to "one of the largest cloth finishers in the country," officials say, the renovated buildings will include functional and aesthetic upgrades such as new elevators, in-unit washing and drying machines, dishwashers, stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, historically accurate windows and hardwood style flooring.
Upgrades will also preserve original design elements such as brick exteriors, exposed wooden beams and tall arched windows.
Outside of the aparments, the property will feature a landscaped courtyard, bike and general storage facilities for residents, a fitness center, community lounge and on-site management.
The 124 units break down into 98 one-bedroom apartments, 21 two-bedroom apartments and five three-bedroom apartments.
(Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.)
