Make-overs for derelict buildings.

If you've driven through parts of Paterson, New Jersey, lately you probably noticed some changes taking place. Historic restoration and adaptive reuse projects have become a growing area of activity for builders, real estate owners, developers and architects. The availability of agency and government financing programs make these opportunities attractive, particularly in light of limited private sector borrowing, scarcity of vacant land, and the cost of development. With "recycling" being the rule today, rather than the "tear-down-and-rebuild" attitude of the past, bringing abandoned, derelict buildings back to life is a responsible way to create new facilities in our aging cities.

In-addition to numerous moderately-sized adaptive reuse projects, our firm has recently completed two significant rehabilitation projects. One of these, the Cooke Mill Restoration in Paterson, has been recognized with three awards: The 1995 NJ Historic Preservation Award, the 1995 New Good Neighbor Award, and the 1995 Excellence in Downtown Development award. The project, located in the Great Falls Historic District, is a four-story, 54,000-square-foot historic mill. We provided full architectural services including design, site planning and programing, as well as technical and construction supervision.

The derelict Cooke Mill, dating back to 1881, formerly housed a textile and manufacturing mill. Now, an out-patient medical facility for St. Joseph's Hospital and 34 affordable housing units vitalize the once run-down structure.

To successfully develop the project, Longstreet Development put together a complex financing package, including Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency; historic tax credits from the National Park Service; private sector financing from the Great Falls Bank, guaranteed by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority; balanced housing funds from the NJ Department of Community Affairs; an Urban Development Corporation loan; HONE Funds City Administrated Federal Program; a Regional Contribution Agreement; a municipal tax abatement; a loan from the Paterson Restoration Corporation; and developer contributions in the form of reduced fees and profits.

While making the project feasible, the involvement of multiple regulating agencies created a complicated approval process, requiring the balancing of contending interests. Each agency reviewed the design for conformity with its particular criteria. The historic status of the property, along with the low-income housing use, qualified it for much of the financing. Yet, the two designations have contending objectives: to preserve existing architectural features and materials (usually at considerable expense) and to create comfortable low-cost, quality housing. These factors complicated the design process. An example of this was seen in the need to preserve the oversized existing masonry openings with the economies of standard ceiling heights. We resolved this by creating soffits and window pockets that keep the lower ceilings away from the face of the building, thus preserving the historic integrity of the exterior.

Also, the historic character of the building required extensive and expensive brick and stone restoration as well as authentic window repair and replication. To obtain National Park Service approval, the existing wood window frames were restored and the deteriorated sashes were replaced with new, double-glazed sashes.

As a result of these complications, the Cooke Kill took more than four years to complete.

In contrast, the restoration of The Mill at Little Falls in Little Falls, New Jersey, was privately financed. The project consisted of the adaptive reuse of four historic mill buildings, originally built between 1864 and 1930. Though the project was considerably larger than Cooke Mill, the approval process required only normal local agencies and was much faster. The Mill at Little Falls - a restoration of four historic mills consists of a new, nine-story building of 330 dwelling units, riverfront park and recreational facilities.

Several other interesting adaptive reuse projects of ours that do not have "historic designation" include The Wyckoff. New Jersey Grange Hall; The Stone Barn in Rye, New York; and the conversion of a derelict lumberyard in Ridgewood, New Jersey.

Despite the intricate requirements of design, approval and development of historic preservation projects like Cooke Mill, the rewards of adaptive reuse and rehabilitation are many. In place of a deteriorated, non-functional eyesore, a vital, new building can offer modern services while providing a look into our past. For architects and developers, these projects are especially rewarding, often highlighting their creativity. These projects not only transform a building, they stimulate neighborhood growth and foster community pride.

For more information and case studies on rehabilitation/adaptive reuse projects, contact Barry Poskanzer, AIA, 550 North Maple Avenue, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450, or call 201-445-2322.