The birthplace of the “Fruit of the Loom” trademark is growing into its britches once again.
The Royal Mills, a group of buildings along the banks of the Pawtuxet River in West Warwick, is in being transformed into a mixed-use complex with 230 one- and two-bedroom apartments, luxury condominiums and a pub.
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The $80 million historic renovation – being done by Baltimore-based developer Struver Bros. Eccles & Rouse Inc. – will be completed in phases, West Warwick Town Manager Wolfgang Bauer said, with the first part slated to come online this summer.
As the company forges ahead, it will be drawing on a rich history that includes the birth of a nationally recognized brand.
The Royal Mill, the 265,000-square-foot centerpiece of the project, was originally home to the B.B. & R. Knight Company – the creator of the “Fruit of the Loom” brand. Also included in the project is the four-story Ace Dye building, built in 1919 as an addition to the Royal Mill, along with three other smaller buildings.
Like the old mills, the new complex will generate energy from the river.
The buildings, like many of the other area mills, had been in disrepair for years while the town looked for someone to come in and restore them. In 2002, state Republican Party Chairwoman Patricia Morgan admitted to trespassing on the property to show it to developers – a move that sparked the process that led to Struever Bros.’ involvement.
Bauer has been a champion for projects such as the Royal Mills, pushing to bring the developers on board for all of the town’s former mills. Currently, Struever Bros. is planning a $30 million residential, office and retail project at the Crompton Mill, and several other mills are being examined for residential uses.
The mill renovations, Bauer said, are helping the town in several ways.
The rehabilitated buildings will replace the massive, vacant structures that have become little more than safety hazards. Most recently, the town lost one of its mills – the Phenix Mill – in a four-alarm blaze in April.
Additionally, with the Royal Mills project expected to bring about 550 new residents to the town, Bauer said the residential activity could help lift up several depressed areas. He sees the biggest potential for improvement in downtown Artic – the town’s former shopping center, which town leaders have been looking to revitalize in recent years.
“When you bring them into the immediate area, like Artic, they’re going to have to shop and eat,” he said. “We think it’s not only going to restore the mills, but we also feel that it’s going to restore some vitality in Arctic.”
