Mill Conversion - Mill To Residential Conversion

Mill To Residential Conversion

Since most mills were initially zoned as "industrial" with the emergence of zoning ordinances during the mid and late 20th Century, an early obstacle of many planners and developers in transforming these vacant or underutilized mill spaces into residences was to convince 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 historic textile mill into residential apartments is the Valley Falls Company south mill located in Central Falls, Rhode Island. This project was completed in 1979, and now includes 133 units of elderly housing.

Other mill conversion projects during the 1980s include the Border City Mill Apartments in Fall River, Massachusetts, situated in a historic 1870's brick cotton mill.

The huge Massachusetts Mills in Lowell, Massachusetts were converted into a 445-unit apartment complex beginning in 1990, while the nearby Market Mills Apartments have 230 units. In recent years, with Massachusetts historic tax credit program, the Boott Mills and Lawrence 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 the United States, such as the Cotton Mill Condos in New Orleans, completed in 1997.

In recent years, there has been a trend toward the loft style apartment or condominium 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 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Built in 1906, it was the largest textile mill in the world at the time. The project is known as Monarch on the Merrimack.