Shuttered textile mills are complicated and expensive to redevelop into modern purposes. When a series of mill buildings is the project, the process can take several years and multiple phases.
In Warwick, the Pontiac Mills lofts are starting to reach the first of the finish dates, the owner says.
Two tenants have been signed for adapted commercial spaces in the shuttered mill, and leases are being signed for converted apartment units in the first building. By October, people should begin moving into the four-story main mill building.
The original schedule had put that point at August, rather than the fall.
Work on the original Pontiac Mills complex began in 2015, with substantial demolition on the site. Originally home to 30 buildings on the Pawtuxet River, the finished mill redevelopment will save 15 of the brick-and-stucco-faced structures.
The Pontiac Mills once manufactured garments for the Fruit of the Loom brand, and previously made uniforms for Union soldiers in the Civil War. Before redevelopment, the site had been mostly shuttered, with artists and other small businesses occupying the main building.
The state of decay was such that two of the buildings collapsed after the purchase of the site was completed, said Larry Silverstein, owner of the Union Box Co. in Baltimore, and one of the partners in the project.
Demolition of the interior of the mill buildings and removal of what couldn’t be salvaged on-site eventually took more than 1,000 dumpsters, Silverstein said. The company tried to reuse what it could, including original timbers, flooring and metal components.
“With a project of this scope, and so many buildings, there were bound to be conditions that were not anticipated,” Silverstein said. “But overall, nothing out of the ordinary.”
‘With a project of this scope … there were bound to be [unanticipated] conditions.’
Larry Silverstein, Union Box Co. owner, partner, Pontiac Mills lofts
But even for Rhode Islanders accustomed to seeing mill redevelopments, the scope of the Pontiac Mills renovation is impressive.
In all, about 225,000 square feet of the mill will be repurposed. The redevelopment will include 137 loft-style apartments of varying sizes. About 34,000 square feet will be set aside for commercial tenants.
The R.I. Commerce Corp., which provided $3.6 million in Rebuild Rhode Island tax credits for the project, estimated the value of the redevelopment at $34.6 million. The redevelopment has qualified for $5 million in state Historic-Preservation Tax Credits and federal tax credits.
The completed campus will have a dog walk, a kayak launch on the river, and outdoor grill and picnic facilities. The apartments will have high-efficiency heating and air conditioning units, in-unit laundry and stainless appliances. Advertised lease rates range from $1,425 for a studio to $2,100 for two-bedroom units.
Silverstein, and his on-site representative, Michael Harrington, said the project is unique in that the various mill buildings are detached, not connected. One of the stand-alone buildings, originally built to house the mill boilers, will become six apartments.
On completion, the mill campus will feature connecting outdoor spaces and courtyards.
The first business tenant, a brewery, is expected to open in September in a stand-alone building near the Pawtuxet River.
Apponaug Brewing Co. has moved its production tanks into the new space and hired a head brewer who will soon begin test runs. Its leased, 5,000-square-foot space will include an outdoor dining patio.
Another business tenant, Salon B, has committed to a space nearby, and will relocate in September from Garden City Center in Cranston, Harrington said.
The project is expected to introduce at least 200 new residents to the Warwick neighborhood near the mill. The Commerce RI economic-impact analysis described the value of the project, through on-site employment, construction activity and income taxes, as a $17.2 million annual boost to the state’s gross domestic product.
The campus is among several other mill redevelopments in Rhode Island that are currently in progress or have recently been completed.
In Warren, the conversion of the Tourister Mill to a mixed-use campus was completed earlier this year. That project was undertaken by Manchester, N.H.-based development company Brady Sullivan Properties.
The renovated building includes waterfront apartments in configurations up to five bedrooms, an on-site parking garage and community theater and game rooms. Commercial space is available as well.
The Lippitt Mill in West Warwick, one of the few remaining wooden textile mill buildings, also is scheduled for a comprehensive renovation.
The $15.2 million project has received state incentives through the Commerce RI board, in the form of $2.1 million in Rebuild Rhode Island credits, as well as $9 million in private financing through the community development arm of Citizens Bank.
The mill will be converted to 65 residential units, with about 28 available at rates considered affordable to people with incomes at 60 percent of the area median.