Trenton Mills Lofts expected to be completed by January 2022

A once abandoned textile factory in a long neglected section of downtown Gastonia will soon experience a renaissance as lofts after more than five years of planning and millions of dollars in investment.

Those developing Trenton Mill Lofts expect the apartments to be ready for rent by January, five years to the day after the town of Gastonia paid $ 495,000 for the old mill with the intention that ‘a private group transforms them into living spaces within the Franklin Urban Sports and Entertainment or FUSE district.

“I think the lofts will be a great addition to the FUSE neighborhood,” said Ben Pruitt, vice president of Kaufman Lynn Construction, based in Kannapolis, the renovation company.

History of the Trenton mill

The transformation of Trenton Mills, the oldest surviving textile factory in Gastonia, into lofts represents the type of public-private partnership the city leaders envisioned when they began planning for the 16-acre FUSE neighborhood.

Previous coverage: $ 25 million makeover: the transformation of the old Gastonia mill into lofts is almost complete

Over 120 years ago, the factory produced textiles in a city known for this industry. From now on, the plant will house 85 one- and two-bedroom apartments.

Located on the corner of West Main Avenue and North Trenton Street, the apartments are closest to the right field in CaroMont Health Park, where the Gastonia Honey Hunters play baseball.

Florida-based Lansing Melborne Group was tasked with overseeing the $ 25 million renovation of the project while Kaufman Lynn Construction, based in Kannapolis, did much of the physical work.

“We probably have about 40 different unit types because this is an adaptive historical project,” said Jake Somsel, project manager for Kaufman Lynn Construction.

“You will see a lot of different layouts in the units,” Somsel said.

The workers wanted to create new apartments, while preserving the integrity of the historic mill, Pruitt said.

“The size varies because we’re not building a completely new building,” Pruitt said. “We had to work with the space we had.

“To further preserve the historic look, we keep scuffs and cracks in the floors of the building’s halls,” Somsel said. “They will be sanded and polished, but it reminds people of where they are.”

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Each floor of the three-story building includes an assortment of 25 to 30 units.

“The rooms have the original brick but they are painted white,” Somsel said. “We also kept the spiral windmill ducts on the bedroom ceilings.”

The rent for the units will range from $ 850 to $ 1,750.

Interior amenities

Residents will have a tenant lounge and fitness center on the second floor. There will be TVs and a bar in the common area, as well as treadmills, exercise machines, and yoga mats in the fitness center.

“There are a lot of things here that should make living here a great experience,” said Pruitt. “The mill is a living history and people from all walks of life can now call it home.”

Contact Janiya Winchester at 704-869-1842 or [email protected]