No one needs to worry about bumping their heads on the ceiling inside Woodside Mill.
The 415,000-square-foot historical mill building is in the process of being transformed into residential lofts, with many of its original attributes left intact — including airy ceilings that rise as high as 18 feet tall.
“That’s only the top floor, though,” said Chris Norris, senior project manager at Caldwell Constructors, which is handling construction. “Because of the way the roof was built, the ceilings in the top floor apartments are actually 2 feet higher, so the other floors are only about 16 feet tall.”
Still, with ceilings in a typical apartment averaging at around 8 to 9 feet tall, according to Home Guides, that means even the residents of the lower floors at Woodside are in for a much more regal, spacious experience.
The redevelopment, which broke ground last August, is being completed in two phases. The first phase, amounting to four stories totaling 120 apartments, will be ready for occupants by the start of 2021. Phase two, which amounts to five stories totaling 187 apartments, is planned to be completed later in the year.
“We’re at the final point with phase one of putting in countertops, light fixtures, painting and touchups,” Norris said.
The final development will be far more than just apartments, however. The property will include an outdoor pool, an event space, future retail space, a gym and fitness area, office cubicle space, two conference rooms and a restaurant space, which will soon be occupied by Woodside Bistro, which is moving from its current location nearby at 1112 Woodside Ave. this spring.
Named after its founder, John T. Woodside, who began building the mill in 1902, the historic structure was once the largest cotton mill in the United States, housing more than 120,000 spindles and serving as the focal point of Greenville’s Historic Woodside Village. It is more than 25% larger than its closest competitors, Brandon Mill and Poe Mill.
The Great Depression put an end to the mill village’s booming prosperity, however, and the mill itself eventually ceased all operations in 1984. Just three years later, in 1987, the property landed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“The spatial integrity of the village has been maintained,” the register’s listing notes. “Mill and community exist in the same relationship as it has for more than 80 years — the cotton mill rises above a village of modest cottages built for the mill workers.”
The building was recently purchased for $62 million by Georgia-Based real estate company Crossgate Partners, which is spearheading the redevelopment of the structure.
Apartments range from 1 bed and 1 bath, which start at $1,300 a month, to 3 bed and 2 bath, starting at $1,750.
The building rehabilitation was designed by architect Ken Betsch of Betsch Associates, with interior design by Kelsey Cameron Interiors, in partnership with Randy Moore of Crossgate Partners and Caldwell Constructors. Greystar is handling property management.
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