City Council approves historic designation for Louise Cotton Mill

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CHARLOTTE – The Charlotte City Council on Monday night voted unanimously to grant the Louise Cotton Mill a historic designation, which allows a developer to begin a revitalization project to bring multifamily to the Plaza Midwood site.

Richmond, Va.-based Clachan Properties for months has been planning the adaptive reuse of Louise Mill, also known as Hawthorne Mill since it sits on Hawthorne Lane just north of Central Avenue. But without City Council granting the property a historic designation, it was unlikely that Clachan would have been able to complete the project.

The developer needed the city’s historic designation in order to receive the tax credits that would make the project viable. According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission, owners of income-producing properties with a historic designation in the county can qualify for a 20 percent state tax credit and a 20 percent federal tax credit.

Clachan plans to transform the old textile mill’s spinning rooms and warehouse space into 150 apartments and about 9,000 square feet of office space, according to documents Clachan has filed with the city.

The Louise Cotton Mill began operations in 1897 and, when it opened, was the largest textile mill in Charlotte, according to the Landmarks Commission report on the property. The mill was a textile plant until the 1960s and has housed several different businesses since, the report says.