Items Tagged ‘non-profit’
Old Wisconsin Tobacco Warehouses See New Purpose
Synopsis:
With the decline of the tobacco industry in southern Wisconsin, Edgerton is remaking itself and its numerous tobacco warehouses – at least those that still exist. Of the original 55 warehouses in the city, only about 20 remain. Rather than allow these structures fall to blight or disaster, Edgerton is working with private entities and nonprofit organizations to find new uses for these buildings. The large interiors and strong exterior construction has made adapting these buildings easy for the most part. The article looks at a number of success stories, going into the different possibilities these warehouses can achieve.
Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Building
Synopsis:
History
The American Brewery was built in 1887 and includes the Brewhouse and Bottle Building. The brewery shut down operations in 1973. The building then turned over to the City of Baltimore in 1977. It had since been left vacant and deteriorating until 2005.
(Re)Developer
The adaptive reuse was led by Humanim, a 35-year old Maryland-based social and human services provider that has delivered programs and services in East Baltimore for the last 20 years, that was looking for a new headquarters location. They teamed up with Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse. Funded was provided by National Trust Community Investment Corporation and the National Trust Loan Fund.[1]
Outcome
Despite the recession, the adaptive reuse project (16 months) has been a success and is a shining beacon of hope in East Baltimore.
Humanim sees the widespread blight in East Baltimore as an opportunity more than anything else. As Truitt put it, “Part of what we’ve done for 35-plus years is take risks to provide services where they’re lacking.” Looked at from that perspective, the East Baltimore location has multiple advantages. Humanim expects the building to house 250 employees, and they’ve committed to hiring from within the community. Furthermore, they’ll be providing services where they’re most needed—they hope to serve 1,300 people in the Brewery building’s first year. Right now they’re engaging in focus groups with community merchants to figure out exactly what local businesses need… so they can train people to provide it.[2]
The Brewhouse will house Humanim’s offices and the Bottle Building, a 60,000 square foot 1937 industrial building will be converted into a center for organizations working in community arts, community services and small business development. The redevelopment of the Brewhouse and Bottle Building is critical to the revitalization of the East Baltimore neighborhood of Broadway East. When completed, the buildings along with the already completed Cole Higgs Center will become an important hub of activity in the community—generating jobs and providing much-needed social services—while also sparking additional investment.[3]
The Brewery Small Business Center
Synopsis:
History
The complex was first built in 1871 as the Haffenreffer Brewery. The business saw its height topping out at 250 employees before competition in the 1950s caused production to slow. In 1965, the brewery is shut down. It became home for a moving company for a short time as well as squatters. The brewery complex gained recognition in 1982 when it was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
(Re)Developer
The non-profit Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Development Corporation (JPNDC) was founded in 1977 and soon afterwards sought to purchase the brewery as a cornerstone to their community development efforts of revitalizing the neighborhood and supporting small businesses. After five years of fundraising, JPNDC succeeds in purchasing the brewery.
Outcome
About 10 years later, two-thirds of the building was revitalized and opened to house new local businesses. In 2008, JPNDC began the final phase to renovate the remaining portion of the five-acre, 16-building, 150,000-square foot complex. The non-profit’s goal was to “bring back the jobs that were lost when the Haffenreffer Brewery ceased operations in the 1960s and to create a supportive environment for local businesses.” A resounding success, the complex is now home to 50 small businesses with over 250 people employed.[1]
In the spirit of sustainability, JPNDC has been able to reuse a significant structure within their neighborhood, saving land and resources. At the same time, the “blight” and social problems of a vacant building have been cleared away, ushering in renewed activity and a successful local economy.
