History Makes a Comeback
by Jenny Fogarty on February 24, 2008 in All Politics is Local: An Urban Policy Blog, Blog
Somehow Friday’s snowstorm did not stop my class from taking a bus tour of North Central Massachusetts’ industrial cities. From our huge coach bus we saw small – but tough – cities that have weathered so much through the years. Built up as major industrial and manufacturing centers in the past, they now grasp onto their last hopes as the service sector engulfs the economy and globalization heightens competition.
Yet as I looked out the window I was struck by a recurrent symbol that these cities are still standing tall and strong, and they’re not going anywhere: the old mills. These huge brick buildings were originally built to take advantage of the water power on the Nashua River to support the plastics, paper, or furniture industries. The trademark of a growing economy and the lifeblood of these cities in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, they have an almost untouchable, austere quality even today. Having grown old and obsolete, though, most of them stand empty. They remain looming over the towns as a symbol of what was… and what could be.
For years developers and city planners across the country have been tackling the question of what to do with these old mills. Some have chosen to tear them down to create space for new development with river views. Near my hometown along the Hudson River north of New York City, only a few burnt and dilapidated old mills still stand juxtaposed next to many new, modern condo towers.
On the other hand, some developers have invested in adaptive reuse of the mills. When I walk near the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, I often stop to wonder how I can score an apartment in one of the old rehabbed mills, with exposed brick and original beam ceilings. But North Central Massachusetts is not New York City. It’s harder to find someone willing to invest in costly rehabilitation, involving contamination or brownfield clean-up, façade renovation, retrofits, insurance, elevators and more, when the returns are unlikely to cover break-even costs.
As a result, in these towns the adaptive reuse of mills often requires a complicated mix of state and federal funds, risk-seeking investors, creative architects and planners, zoning codes, local initiative, and patience. If successful, however, the social returns can be immense.
Reuse not only draws upon the rich history of a city and plays up its aesthetic culture, it also leads the charge toward sustainable urban development. These holistic and creative projects can help meet neighborhood demand by capitalizing on existing materials and dense urban structures, and ultimately creating less waste. Numerous features allow for energy efficiency (i.e.: large windows means more natural light, durable building materials means a longer structural life). Many mills built close together – intended to allow people to walk to work – would support today’s transit-oriented development objectives. And by filling this empty, vacant space planners could potentially help to revitalize a community or a downtown center.
An old shoe factory that we drove by in Fitchburg, MA is being turned into a major mixed-use center with sustainable features - http://www.massinnovation.com/. Just down Mass Ave the Kennedy Steam Factory built in 1875 was successfully adapted into “Kennedy Biscuit Lofts” (home of the Fig Newton), where I recently enjoyed a game of indoor soccer, a trampoline, and a jungle gym in my friend’s apartment thanks to the high ceilings and large open spaces (I’m serious) - http://www.kblliving.com/. It’s worth noting that Harvard’s very own Memorial Hall is an award-winning example of adaptive reuse. Originally built in the 1870s as a Civil War Memorial, a period of underutilization led to its renewal as a student center.
A thorough social cost-benefit analysis would show that of course adaptive reuse may not be appropriate for every single mill. But no matter what each city decides, I’m reminded of the importance of respecting my elders. They’ve been through a lot and have a great deal of wisdom to impart.
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Jenny,
your adaptive reuse sensibilities are identical to my own.
now if we could only get both political parties to start developing/adopting policies thqat can be implemented by the next Prez and his cabinet…that would be moving us down the road quite a bit.
-gordon
ps: your “plans to live in every U.S. city that does not require having a car…” means you’ll be going soon to Greensburg/Kansas? check it out:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1709542,00.html