Eckman Renovates Union Crossing Coldham & Hartman Architects

Lawrence, MA – The first residents will soon be moving into the former Southwick Clothing mill in Lawrence. Eckman Construction of Bedford, N.H. is converting the former mill building on Island Street, originally built in 1916, to residential and commercial use. This is the first phase of a mixed-use development, known as Union Crossing. Plans ultimately call for 400,000sf of new and renovated spaces in the mill complex.
This project was completed in October, and contains 60 apartments, a day care, commercial space, and several community spaces. The apartments consist of a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Tenants are subject to income restrictions; a lottery process was held in September to choose from the tenant applications received.
The Eckman team worked with the project owner—Lawrence Community Works, a local non-profit community development corporation affiliated with Neighborworks®—for over two years on preconstruction services.
Eckman has completely renovated the five-story building, including new electrical, plumbing and heating systems. Historic features of the mill, including the brick façade and the original hardwood floors, remain. Those floors were repaired and finished to a gleam, including the fifth floor, where the wood had been covered with asphalt. In a few areas of the building where the condition of the floors was beyond saving, replacement oak floors were installed.
Window replacement, as well as masonry repairs, on one side of the building was complicated by its close proximity to the Merrimack River. There is essentially no space between the building and the riverbank, so all exterior work on that façade had to be done from swing staging.
An array of solar panels was installed on the roof of the building, which will provide power to the building.
Architect for the project was Coldham & Hartman Architects of Amherst.