Cheney Mills Restoration Nearly Done, Pre-Leasing to Begin
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
Pendleton’s Cheney Lofts and Mill Lofts Annex Apartments are opening soon, saving a piece of the history and providing 120 new housing units on the edge of downtown Pendleton.
The two newer apartment buildings, with 72 units, are expected to open Aug. 1, and the 48 units in Cheney Lofts will begin pre-leasing in mid-August and open in September, said John Gumpert of Camden Management Properties, the firm doing the renovations and construction. Gumpert said rents are expected to start at approximately $1,500 per month.
Gumpert, who is passionate about saving historic structures, said great care was taken to preserve all that could be renovated.
“We didn't tear anything down,” Gumpert said. “We've rebuilt everything, literally structurally rebuilt the whole project.”
The annex apartments attempted to mirror some of the features of the old mill as well, with 10-foot ceilings, large windows, trim and doors to help reflect the character of the older building.
A sidewalk connecting the new housing to East Main Street at the cleaned up site of another old mill, the Pendleton Oil Mill, is also planned. The town is currently working with Camden Management Properties to develop a plan for that site.
“I think the progress is good,” said Pendleton Mayor Frank Crenshaw. “I like it in the fact that it's a historical building that is not going to fall in and get torn down eventually. It's been repurposed for good use, and I think it'll be a good thing for the local economy here. It’s located within walking distance of downtown and I feel like it kind of guarantees the resiliency of the downtown.”
The mill, which produced cotton yarn, opened in 1906, and was one of 17 textile mills operating in Anderson County between 1900-1920. The two-story, L-shaped form of the mill has remained mostly unchanged since the early twentieth century, and the building retains a substantial amount of physical integrity, including more than half of its original eight-over-eight, double-hung wood-sash windows with eight-light transoms.
The building also retains its low-pitched gable roof, exposed rafter tails, segmental-arch window openings, a crenellated stair tower, and brick smokestack. The mill site features a water tower, mill pond, press house, warehouse, and three hose houses that contribute to the historic integrity of the site. It was listed in the National Register Jan. 29, 2018.
Pendleton was awarded a $25,000 grant to develop a small-area plan for the area, which includes determining the types/styles of buildings and their uses, as well as how to tie the area into a walking district to downtown in hopes that adding such investments will lead to broader impacts, including the potential of more sidewalks and streetlights, and other renovations.
Pendleton provided approximately $300,000 in internal infrastructure investment around the mill, to work with the developer on the most critical needs for the project. Anderson County’s Transportation Committee is expected to commit funding for the repaving the road in front of the mill.
The county also worked closely with Pendleton and the developer on the project, including providing fee in lieu of tax incentives, historic property tax credits, abandoned mill tax credits and assistance with getting the site on the historic register.
