Mill Conversion ormill rehab is a form ofadaptive reuse in which a historicmill or industrialfactory building is restored or rehabilitated into another use, such asresidential housing,retail shops,office, or a mix of these non-industrial elements (mixed-use).
In theUnited States, the development of industry during the 19th and early 20th centuries resulted in the construction of thousands of mills or factory buildings typically built of brick or stone masonry across the nation, with a high concentration in theNortheast. By 1920, there were hundreds ofmill towns across the region built for the production of textiles and other goods, such as shoes, machinery, and other items. However, the Northern textile industry would suffer greatly beginning in the early 1920s, with the failure of many of these companies and the rise in competition from Southern mills. Other industries would follow, especially during the later part of the 20th century, whenglobalization changed the economy, and entire industries began to move overseas to developing nations. Through the 20th century, many mills carried on in a variety of industrial purposes, other than their originally intended use. Many were used for storage, or other small enterprises. Still, many more remained mostly vacant and underutilized through the mid-20th century and even today. Many vacant mill buildings have become a target for vandalism,arson, and contribute tourban blight in many communities.
A similar scenario has also played out inGreat Britain and elsewhere inEurope during this same timeframe.
Beginning in the 1960s, there was a large public outcry throughout theUnited States for increasedhistoric preservation, to stop the loss of historic structures that had begun during the 1950s withurban renewal projects in big cities and small towns across the nation. A similar movement occurred inGreat Britain decades earlier.
One result of this outcry was the establishment of theNational Register of Historic Places in 1966, by theFederal Government. Since this time, more than one million listings have been added to the National Register, on many types of structures and places across the country. While not a certain guarantee that a structure will never be demolished, the National Register provides owners with a tool to seek national and state tax credits, grants, and other assistance that may enable the rehabilitation of the building.
Since the 1960s communities across the country have establishedhistoric districts and special by-laws in an attempt to preserve and prevent the destruction of properties deemed important to the historical context.
The first successfultextile mill in theUnited States wasSlater Mill, established bySamuel Slater inPawtucket, Rhode Island in 1793. With its significant historic value, the drive to restore Slater Mill into a public museum began during the mid-20th century.
In 1971, theBrandywine River Museum of Art opened inChadds Ford,Pennsylvania, in a convertedCivil War-eragrist mill. The mill (and an additional 8 1/2 acres) was purchased at auction by the newly formed Brandywine Conservancy. Renovations began in 1970 and the museum opened in 1971. The renovation was done by James R. Grieves Associates, Inc. of Baltimore. Grieves was the only professional consulted who wanted to keep the 19th-century structure intact. Other architects recommended tearing it down and starting over. The museum exhibits Wyeth and American art, with galleries devoted to the works of N.C., Andrew, and Jamie Wyeth.
In 1976,Lowell Heritage State Park was established inLowell, Massachusetts. In 1978, the United States Congress establishedLowell National Historical Park and the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission. The legislation to create the park was sponsored by United States Senator and Lowell nativePaul Tsongas. The restoration gathered momentum in the 1980s, including the renovation of the canals and former mill facilities into museums, as well as the construction of a waterfront walkway.
During the 1980s, with the example of Lowell's National Historic Park coming into fruition, theCommonwealth of Massachusetts established a series of Heritage State Parks throughout the state to celebrate and preserve the state's valuable historic (mostly industrial) history.Lawrence Heritage State Park, which occupies a former millboardinghouse in the city's industrial canal district, is an excellent example.
In 1999, the former Arnold Print Works mills inNorth Adams, Massachusetts was converted into theMassachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MassMOCA).
Not all historic mills can be successfully transformed into museums, however, only with the few, most significantly historic ones has this been possible.
Since most mills were initially zoned as "industrial" with the emergence of zoning ordinances during the mid- and late 20th century, one of the early obstacles for many planners and developers was convincing local officials that the usefulness of the mills for continuing industry was limited. Business practices were changing, and the old mill buildings were no longer efficient or practical for industry. Even today, most jurisdictions require some sort of special permit or zoning change in order for the conversions to take place.
One of the earliest known conversions of a historictextile mill into residential apartments is theValley Falls Company south mill located inCentral Falls, Rhode Island. This project was completed in 1979, and now includes 133 units of elderly housing.[1]
Other mill conversion projects during the 1980s include the Border City Mill Apartments inFall River, Massachusetts, situated in a historic 1870s brick cotton mill.
The huge Massachusetts Mills inLowell, Massachusetts were converted into a 445-unit apartment complex beginning in 1990, while the nearby Market Mills Apartments have 230 units. In recent years, withMassachusetts historic tax credit program, theBoott Mills andLawrence Mills have been converted into residences also, as part of Lowell's continued revitalization of its historic waterfront area.
Mill conversions have also occurred in other parts of theUnited States, such as theCotton Mill Condos inNew Orleans, completed in 1997.
In recent years, there has been a trend toward theloft styleapartment orcondominium unit, with high ceilings, exposed bricks, tall windows, wood floors, and exposed beams or structural elements.
One of the most ambitious mill conversion projects in recent years is the transformation of the huge Wood Mill inLawrence, Massachusetts. Built in 1906, it was the largesttextile mill in the world at the time. The project is known asMonarch on the Merrimack.
Concurrent with the move to restore former industrial mills into residences has been the conversion of certain sites into a mix of retail shops, offices and restaurants, and other non-industrial uses. During the 1980s, many of the historic cotton mills inFall River, Massachusetts were converted into factory outlet stores, although with minimal physical alteration other than some partitions and carpeting. The factory outlet stores in Fall River were highly successful for many years, but have in recent years declined, a victim of newer "premium outlet" malls opening up in nearby suburban areas such asWrentham, Massachusetts, and other locations.
One excellent example of a mill-to-mixed-use conversion inNew England is theClocktower Place, located in the small town ofMaynard, Massachusetts. The huge mill complex was originally the Assabet Manufacturing Company, which grew during the 19th century to be one of the largest textile companies in the state, specializing in woolen goods. It was later acquired by theAmerican Woolen Company, and later, byDigital Equipment Corporation until it finally vacated the location in 2001. Since then, the entire complex has been transformed into an office park. It is now home to many companies in differing markets. Its most famous tenant is perhapsMonster.com.
The largest mill-to-mixed-use conversion inNew England, however, can be found atManchester, New Hampshire, with the successful renovation and conversion of theAmoskeag Millyard, once the largest single textile company in the world. The Amoskeag Millyard is the centerpiece of Manchester's waterfront, and includes offices, restaurants, a museum, residences and a university.[2]
Often, parking, utilities and other infrastructure need to be upgraded as part of the mill conversion process. Many of the old industrial sites contain levels of contamination, which can be very costly for the developers to mitigate.
In recent years, many states have enacted Historic Tax Credit programs in an attempt to enable the rehabilitation of older structures deemed to be "historically significant". Typically, the major criteria for this determination is a listing with theNational Register of Historic Places, usually followed by a review by state and local agencies. The development companies typically utilize the tax credits to offset the usually expensive process of renovation and site cleanup.
An example of a Mill conversion utilized by the use of a state historic tax program is the Royal Mills inWest Warwick, Rhode Island, redeveloped bySBER aBaltimore-based company with a long history of historic preservation projects. This mill had sat vacant for many years, and was in serious threat of being demolished. The site has since successfully been converted into residential apartments, situated on thePawtuxet River with a walking trail and bike path nearby.
While recently suspended due to the State's budget crisis,Rhode Island'sHistoric Tax Credit Program was deemed as one of the most successful in the nation, enabling hundreds of historic structures across the state to be preserved over the past several years since it was enacted.
The benefits historic tax credit programs to state budgets have been often controversial, but there are many indirect economic benefits to local communities.[3]
The property tax value of a restored mill it typically about ten times greater than the existing underutilized mill building, and there is also the added benefit of many construction jobs and other services during the renovation process. The intangible value of having a historic factory building preserved for future generations to enjoy, as well as the benefits to the community are often harder to calculate. The restored mill buildings often become the focal point of the community.