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This
old
mill
Remade
textile plant burnishes
Beacon
By
Kathy Kahn
Back in 1996, Robert
Chiulli bought a diamond in the
rough – a 19th-century textile
mill sitting dormant in Beacon
for dozens of years. Chiulli is
now in the process of polishing
the rundown property to become
another jewel in Hudson River
city’s growing
crown.
The
Fishkill Creek development is a
first in the Hudson Valley for
Yonkers-born Chiulli, who spent
several years successfully
developing and building
commercial and residential
properties in Westchester and
New York City.
“When I first bought the mill,
Beacon was a place people
avoided, but I had a good
feeling about it,” Chiulli
said. “Originally, I purchased
it to create commercial space.
But when I saw Beacon’s growing
artists’ community and with the
city’s plans to revitalize
itself really starting to gel,
I realized the property could
offer more. I had already
decided to build a storage
facility, since that was
needed. I went back to the city
planners and asked for a zoning
change to renovate the mill,
not just for commercial use,
but to add living
space.”
That
approval, along with Empire
Zone status, brought Chiulli’s
project into full swing. His
developer’s instinct paid off.
And he is grateful to Rhinebeck
Savings Bank for its faith in
his foresight – aided by his
proven track record – when it
lent him the money to purchase
the 200,000-plus-square-foot
property more than a decade
ago. Chiulli guesstimates that,
to date, more than $1.4 million
has been invested in
restoration of the mill
buildings – not including what
he paid for the property, which
was not
disclosed.
The old
mill’s former management
building is now Beacon Storage,
with 300 climate-controlled
units. Its ground floor entry
is where Chiulli now has his
own office. “I’ve probably
spent seven days a week here
for more than a year,” he said,
adding good-naturedly: “I’m
practically living in the
office – with more to come, I’m
sure.”
Rather
than ripping down and re-doing
the storage facility’s original
entry, Chiulli opted to keep
the 1,600-square-foot foyer
intact, right down to the iron
shutters on the inside, not on
the outside, of the windows.
“They weren’t built to keep out
the weather,” said Chiulli.
“They were put up to keep
workers out if things got
rough. The owners wanted to
make sure they had a safe place
to go if they had to announce a
big layoff. If these walls
could talk, they’d have plenty
of tales to
tell.”
With
Beacon Storage up and running,
and a few other commercial
tenants on board, Chiulli
turned his attention to the two
large factory buildings slated
to become the live/work lofts
he proposed to the city. The
cavernous spaces once teemed
with more than 2,000 workers in
the factory’s heyday.
Its interior brick walls were
sandblasted with baking powder,
to remove dozens of layers of
paint accumulated over time.
“Since we are building living
space, baking powder is
environmentally friendly, but
it’s no easy task getting
decades of paint off brick,”
said Chiulli. “Eventually, we
were able to clean it off
without damaging a single block
or damaging any of the original
mortar either inside or outside
the building – a real testament
to the quality of workmanship
the laborers put into this
factory when it was
built.”
The
three-story building where the
first 12 live/work lofts are
currently under construction
will offer approximately 1,700
to 1,800 square feet of space
in each unit. The market-rate
rentals will offer new kitchens
and baths; Chiulli opted to
stick with the building’s
original maple flooring (sanded
and finished) and the cleaned
brick walls exposed. “That’s
the look people want. It’s nice
to be able to provide it,” said
Chiulli. New 12-foot-high
windows span the exterior walls
allowing light to stream into
the loft
area.
While
workmen are busy finishing the
first building, scheduled to be
ready for occupancy by
mid-January, Chiulli is
planning an additional thirty
work/live lofts in the
factory’s second building.
“This building is a bit more
challenging,” said Chiulli
during the walk-through. “When
you begin to renovate an old
structure, you never know what
you are going to find. I needed
the entire roof replaced in
this one. We were able save the
beams that held up the original
roof, and I hope to re-use them
in some other way on the
property.”
How about going “green” on this
project?
“Not
really practical in this
situation,” answered Chiulli.
“The new heating and cooling
technology is cost-effective
and easy to accomplish in new
construction, but in this type
of renovation, it isn’t
economical. We are using
energy-saving technology
wherever possible; all the
appliances and lighting will be
environmentally friendly, and
the units will have forced air
heating and
cooling.”
Chiulli
is planning extensive
landscaping outside of the
property – walkways and gardens
with nooks and crannies with
benches, tables and a barbeque
area for tenants to enjoy will
replace the crumbling
concrete.
The
mill’s location is practical,
too, added the developer: “The
bus stops right on the corner,
and residents can go into town,
down to the waterfront just to
take a walk or catch the train.
I know this is going to be a
desirable place to live and
work and will be a terrific
addition to the community. Who
needs Manhattan? There’s more
to offer here in the Hudson
Valley.”
Chiulli
bought a home in Fishkill two
years ago and has become a
full-time resident of Dutchess
County. “I love visiting New
York City, but it’s just too
crowded,” he said. “It’s great
to come home and enjoy the
feeling of open space and
having room to breathe. More
and more people coming here are
coming for the same reason I
did: the quality of life the
Hudson Valley has to
offer.”
While
every developer hopes to garner
a profit from an investment,
Chiulli says it’s not all about
money. “It’s wonderful to take
a place like this and turn it
into something that will add
beauty and value to a
community. It’s a great
feeling.”
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