Long-Vacant Textile Mill in Bessemer City To Become Affordable Apartments

Martha Sellers,

BESSEMER CITY, N.C. — The 125-year-old Osage textile mill on Main Street is getting new life.  State and local officials gathered to break ground on a huge renovation project to turn the 125-year-old building into 139 affordable rental apartments.

Bessemer City’s found built he 250,000-square-foot textile mill in 1896. It has been largely vacant since 1995. City leaders hope the $35 million renovation project will bring much needed new housing and economic growth to western Gaston County.

Led by the WinnDevelopment , the historic adaptive reuse will preserve the building’s iconic exterior while creating 12 three-bedroom apartments, 77 two-bedroom units and 50 one-bedroom units for households earning 60 percent of the area’s median income.