WinnDevelopment to Transform a Historic Mill into Affordable Apartments

WinnCompanies broke ground on its first-ever adaptive reuse project in Bessemer City North Carolina, starting construction on a $35 million project that will create 139 affordable apartments in a long-vacant, historic textile mill.

Led by the WinnDevelopment Vice President Aimee McHale and Senior Project Director Laura Manville, the historic adaptive reuse of the mill will preserve the building’s iconic exterior while creating 12 three-bedroom apartments, 77 two-bedroom units and 50 one-bedroom units for households earning 60 percent of the Area Median Income.

Financing for the project is supported by tax-exempt bonds from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) and issued by the Gastonia Housing Authority.

The 250,000-square-foot building has been largely vacant since 1995. Built by Bessemer City founder, John Askew Smith, in 1896, it quickly became one of the city’s largest textile mills.

Although this will be WinnDevelopment’s first adaptive reuse project in North Carolina, the company has been responsible for the reuse and rehabilitation of 41 historic structures since 1981, creating nearly 5,000 new apartments in seven states and the District of Columbia.

The building’s design conforms to Energy Star guidelines. WinnDevelopment is collaborating with Duke Energy to maximize energy efficiency of the building’s mechanical equipment, appliances, interior and exterior lighting and building envelope.

Rehab Builders, of Winston-Salem, is the general contractor for the project, with Tise Kiester Architects of Chapel Hill serving as architect and MacRostie Historic Advisors LLC as historic consultant. Brockmann Law, located in Charlotte, is serving as legal counsel.

Osage Mill is located in a mixed-use neighborhood adjacent to Bessemer City’s downtown commercial area and offers easy access to Interstate 85 and strong employment hubs in Charlotte and Spartanburg, SC.