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Industrial Chic: Turning Manufacturing Sites into Mixed Use Properties
 Grant and Ian Kyle are addressing Auburn’s housing needs for young professionals in what was an old abandoned flour mill.
The C. W. Brister & Sons Flour Mill, on North Street along the railroad tracks on the north end of Auburn, is the site they’ve chosen for redevelopment. The flour mill was active from 1900 to 1982, and the rail side space has since been neglected.
Grant Kyle, 23, has a background in art history and architecture. He's currently heading this project that will convert the mill property into a three-acre development including residential, commercial and tourism-based aspects. Kyle, whose family owns North Brook Farms in Weedsport, took on the project after interning with a Baltimore-based development company.
Currently, work is underway on the project's first phase – designing seven loft apartments targeted at people his age. Exposed brick walls, expansive windows, concrete floors, thick wood beams and outdoor decks will make the perfect backdrop for chic city living.
“There are not a lot of places for young professionals to live in Auburn,” said Kyle. “If you don't live at home, where are you going to live? I think I'm filling a niche in my demographic.”
“We hear so often about how the youth are leaving the area,” Auburn Mayor Quill said. “Here we have a young man who is willing to make Auburn a better place to live, and invest his time and money.”
Another niche Kyle is sensitive to is sustainable principles. He is using reclaimed lumber, recycled materials, and employing workers from Amish and Mennonite communities. He is also saving and utilizing any site-found industrial pieces to be repurposed for architectural elements and details.
After the residential component is completed, the next phase will convert former storage silos into a restaurant and bar space. In preparation, they will rehab and outfit the space’s infrastructure, but are looking for a tenant to handle the food and beverage, and all other aspects of the restaurant business.
One idea that has unique potential, considering the space’s environment, is a creating a microbrewery. Auburn could then join ranks with Syracuse, Utica, Ithaca and other upstate cities that brew their own beer.
Exterior project plans include the construction of a platform, or ultimately a rail station for the Finger Lakes Scenic Railroad. Now, the railway’s passenger trips have no way of including Auburn, with no place to stop. On a grand scale, Kyle sees potential for securing federal stimulus money with the State’s push for rail development. He said that Auburn is a feeder market for Syracuse, and one day it could ideally support its own commuter line.
The Brister Mill was one of many projects submitted to Gov. David Paterson's office for consideration in the distribution of federal stimulus funds. Kyle said funding will determine when, not whether or not, it will be completed. “We're going to push forward no matter what. Converting the Brister Mill facility makes sense, as it would preserve the city's industrial heritage while creating something new and unique. That building will never be built again,” Kyle said. “It's more than just a building,” he added. “It's a place where people recognize there is a lot of history.”
If anyone is interested in learning more about the project, please contact Grant Kyle at KyleCroft Development.
grantkyle.kylecroft@gmail.com
(315) 834 – 9390
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