DANVILLE, Va. – The Alexander Company of Madison, Wisconsin plans to “put the lights back on at the White Mill.”
Development project manager Dave Vos said the the $62.5 million project will begin with 150 apartments, 25% of which will be reserved for workforce housing for teachers, public service workers and others strapped by housing needs and high rental costs.
There will be 110,000 square feet of commercial space, 150 apartment units initially with plans for an additional 100 apartments in the future.
The project is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2023.
The Alexander Group will also restore the covered bridge that spans the Dan River and which was once used by Dan River workers to shuttle between mill buildings. The covered bridge will be restored as a pedestrian walkway.
The canal alongside the building will also be developed as a whitewater feature and will provide a mile-long extension of the Riverwalk Trail.
The Danville Industrial Development Authority’s Neal Morris said it would he nice to see the “HOME” signed returned to its rightful place on the White Mill as this project comes to fruition.
Mayor Alonzo Jones called the project “transformational” and said it is fitting that the announcement comes as the building nears the century mark since its construction.
The Alexander Company has been involved in historic preservation for the past 35 years. The company recently restored the Soldier’s Home in Milwaukee, converting six historic buildings into housing units for homeless veterans.