A 111-year-old dilapidated warehouse near downtown Kenosha could be renovated and restored under plans by Bear Development to convert the property to apartments.
The project, being called Vincent-McCall Lofts, after the furniture springs manufacturer that first built the 80,000-square-foot warehouse at 2122 56th St., will include 60 apartments, according to plans submitted to the city.
The Vincent-McCall Co. closed in the 1960s. The building was most recently home to the Kenosha Flea Market.
It was nominated for the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places at the State Historic Preservation Review Board Meeting on Dec. 1.
With the exception of the building’s water tower, which is unsalvageable and will be removed, the entire structure will be renovated and preserved, said Matt Werderitch, a planner with the city.
Representatives with Bear could not immediately be reached for comment.
Bear hopes to begin construction in 2018 and finish the project in December 2018.
The property will be managed by Milwaukee-based ACC Management, which also manages Bear’s 5th Avenue Lofts in Kenosha.
In September, the property was rezoned from light manufacturing to a mixed-use district. The city plan commission will review Bear’s proposal Thursday.
