River Lofts at Ashton Mills, with a projected opening of May 2005, will feature 207 one- and two-bedroom rental units. Located in Cumberland, R.I., 15 minutes from Providence, the former mill will benefit from its location next to the Blackstone River State Park. With easy access to the River Walk and a new bikeway, the property is expected to appeal to a wide spectrum of buyers, from young professionals to empty nesters.
The 1867 brick complex, built at a time when labor was cheap, includes some unique design elements. A central arched tower with the original bell still attached is a focal point, while old gears and turbines will be preserved to lend a further touch of authenticity. An old freight elevator will be relocated to the lobby and used as the mail room. “This is the toughest kind of project to do, but in many ways it’s the most rewarding,” says Jon Wallenmeyer, vice president of residential development for Forest City’s Washington, D.C., office. “You use what you have.”
What Ashton Mills has is beautiful masonry and exposed beams and columns of varying sizes. Unfortunately, the property also has a nonfunctional dilapidated staircase which had to be left in place, even though it can’t be used, to qualify for the historic tax credit. As with other old industrial buildings, the structure makes for a lot of design challenges. “You can’t design this on paper,” says Wallenmeyer, who has a background in architecture. “A project like this requires a great relationship between the developer and the architect.”
Real or Reproduction? A retro revival often leads to the appearance of reproductions. Just look at Chrysler’s PT Cruiser. The architectural equivalent is Jefferson at Carlyle Mill, just outside of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, a new-construction apartment building designed to resemble converted industrial space. To stand out in a very competitive rental market, the developer—JPI Construction based in Vienna, Va.—tried to create a project with a recognizable theme that was visible from the initial site approach and continued in every interior detail. Every visual element, from the distressed brick exterior, to metal catwalks, to a riveted 2-story industrial steel fireplace, to reclaimed oak floors and salvaged antique wood doors, was designed to mimic an old mill. The 315 apartments were fully leased within 13 months, a rate the developer describes as speedy. How much that has to do with the building versus the overheated D.C.-area rental market is open to debate. But the popularity of loft spaces in converted industrial buildings may actually put new apartments at a competitive disadvantage in some areas. That could make reproductions another trend to watch.
–Charles Wardell is a freelance writer in Vineyard Haven, Mass.