Mass. Shoe Factory on the Mend
By Margaret Foster | Online Only | July 30, 2009
The former Commonwealth Shoe & Leather Company, Whitman, Mass.
Credit: Shane Losi
A Massachusetts developer is on a roll.
This summer, as Fred Kiley of the Quincy-based Heritage Companies finishes converting a Rockland, Mass., shoe factory into a modern apartment complex, work is already under way on his next project: the renovation of a shoe factory in Whitman, Mass.
The Commonwealth Shoe and Leather Company shut down in the 1960s, leaving two buildings—one built in 1864, the other built around 1885—vacant for several years. The town bought the former factory in 1982, and offered it as rental space for artists and small businesses. Last year, to the excitement of many in town, Kiley bought the somewhat shabby factory for $2 million, and began filling the 252,000-square-foot complex with 129 apartments and 15 commercial units.
"It's great for the town," says Leslie Donovan, historic preservation consultant on the project. "People are very aware of this building and very excited about it."
This spring, Kiley repaired the factory's signature 90-foot-tall towers. It was a symbolic gesture, Donovan acknowledges, but also a practical one, since both towers were plagued by leaking roofs.
"They look fantastic," says Donovan who is helping Kiley apply for state and federal historic tax credits for the $17.6 million project.
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Comments
Submitted by Clay at: August 6, 2009
More photos please?
Submitted by Brian at: July 30, 2009
Wow that is unusual looking.