Repurposing of historic old mill offers high-end condos, offices, shops

You might say that Stephanie Fiorito's family is about to have a change of view. The family, accustomed to looking out over Puget Sound, is planning to move across the street from the Cooper River.

Fiorito and husband Daniel Wren have talked about moving from Seattle to Charleston for years, but the combination of factors needed to nudge them toward their goal only recently presented itself.

The repurposing of the historic Cigar Factory at East Bay and Columbus streets, which began life as a mill in the 1880s, is the magnet pulling the couple and three young children toward a new life in the Holy City.

The 125-year-old structure, which has housed offices and Johnson & Wales University, will become home to those who desire an urban lifestyle loaded with high-end amenities.

Sixty-six loft residences are being built in the Cigar Factory, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Simpson Organization, an Atlanta-based company, is developing the complex.

Fiorito's family will live in the 2,800 square-foot penthouse, the largest unit in the Cigar Factory complex. So far, about 16 units in the building, which is expected to house a 50-50 mix of part-time and full-time residents, have been sold.

Among the benefits of living there will be viewing the port, container ships and trains, Fiorito says. In addition, the family will trade nine months of gloomy weather in Washington for nine months of sunshine here.

The family also will trade a beach there with impediments to swimming for a choice of beaches here that all are perfect for the sport. Other fitness opportunities will include an on-site club and pool; the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, where she can run and Wren can cycle; and peninsula Charleston, where the whole family can walk.

Fiorito, who works full time in a family business, might also purchase office space at the Cigar Factory, enabling her to take breaks from work and run upstairs to visit with the children. Her husband stays at home to care for the children, who are 7 and younger.

Home for visitors

Jeremy Willits, who lives on the peninsula, purchased a 1,000-square-foot one-bedroom unit in the complex. His unit will be used by visiting relatives and friends.

"That offers them a wonderful place to stay with a lot of character," Willits says. And buying a unit there for visitors makes sense because of the array of amenities the complex will have.

"The tall ceilings and the history attracted me. I am so glad that someone is rescuing that building. It's nice to see that someone is taking a chance on it, turning it around. It sort of languished there for a while."

Everything on-site

"The building is phenomenal," says Scott McKenna, senior development project manager. "In theory, you don't have to leave the project."

Those who live at the renovated Cigar Factory, set for completion in 2010, will enjoy a walled Charleston garden, rooftop pool, health deck, wine cellar and tasting room, screening room, covered street-level parking and a dog walk.

Amenities that will be open to the public include a fine dining restaurant owned by Ken Vedrinski, who owns Lucca on Bogard Street, featuring Northern Italian dishes, McKenna says. Ristorante Introdacqua will be named for his grandmother's hometown in Italy.

A number of specialty shops also will be in the complex and could include a speciality grocer and a wine and cheese and coffee shop.

The loft units range in size from 868 to 2,800 square feet and cost from $429,000 to $1.6 million, he says. The complex also will have 35,000 square feet of retail space and galleries, and 25,000 of office space.

Units in the complex have 15-foot-high ceilings, 10-foot-high windows and brick walls that have been blasted to remove lead paint, McKenna says. The exposed bricks are being covered with a breathable sealant.

All 344 windows are designed to look like the original ones but have hurricane-resistant glass and can be opened to let in breezes from the Cooper River across the street.

McKenna says while the project is not LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, developers are being environmentally sensitive.

"We had a deconstructor come in and remove ceilings, doors, frames and spiral staircase, lights, shelves, desks and reuse or sell them off. That's 20,000 tons of stuff that didn't end up in a landfill."

Reach Wevonneda Minis at 937-5705 or wminis@postandcourier.com.