Worcester Business Journal

12 Worcester Business Journal | January 24, 2022 | wbjournal.com Saving history W hat would eventually become the Stevens Linen Mill in Dudley dates back to 1811, with the founding of the then Merino Wool Factory Co. Over 200 years and several ownership changes later, the vacant 1864-era complex remaining today is on the brink of being redeveloped into lo apartments, which stand to breathe new life into an otherwise quiet old mill community in Central Massachusetts. Plans for the site, now owned by Georgia developer John Gumpert of Camden Management Partners, call for the tune of 159 apartments, 260 parking spaces, and a series of amenities, including a pool, gym, and public access to the French River, on the banks of which the building sits, towering over the Webster-Dudley town line. Space will be le in the building for a community event center, and, potentially, a taproom, although no tenant is in place. "We act as a catalyst to start redevelopment in the area," Gumpert, who plans to invest upward of $45 million into the project, said. Gumpert's team has more than two decades of experience rehabilitating historic sites, particularly old mills, up and down the East Coast, he said, including developments in New England. Locally, he's working to redevelop the behemoth River Mill in neighboring ompson, Conn., although that project is in the process of tackling environmental challenges. He has another project going on in Vernon, Conn., as well as mill projects in North Carolina. "I'm an historic redeveloper, and I like saving," he said. His attention was drawn to Dudley when a broker approached him and told him about the Stevens mill. Several groups had tried to save it over the course of the last couple of decades, but no one had, at that point, ever followed through. "I'm not sure how he got my name, but he did," Gumpert said. Community support For all intents and purposes, Gumpert and his team appear to have the town behind them in their efforts to see this project come to life. As it stands, the proposal is in the local permitting process, but the approvals are moving along, said Acting Town Planner William Scanlan. "ere's a number of loose ends that they're working on," Scanlan said, mentioning traffic mitigation issues. Although Dudley is a generally quiet town, the area around the Stevens complex, known as Merino Village, is relatively densely populated. With nearly 160 new units going in, that congestion stands to increase. Still, Scanlan said, public support appears to be broadly behind the project, especially considering residents approved a generous 20-year tax break at a special town meeting on Oct. 25. Under the tax increment financing agreement, Gumpert will be exempt from paying property taxes applicable to the value of improvements made A $45-million mill redevelopment effort in Dudley seeks to further anchor a revitalization around the community BY MONICA BENEVIDES WBJ Senior Staff Writer Developer John Gumpert is seeking to preserve the Stevens Linen Mill while updating it to a mixed-use development. PHOTO | MONICA BENEVIDES John Gumpert's rendering of the proposed redeveloped Dudley mill F O C U S C O M M E R C I A L R E A L E S T A T E RENDERING | COURTESY OF TOWN OF DUDLEY

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