Original Construction
1900’s
Completed Construction
2012

The historic Plainwell Paper Mill complex presented the City of Plainwell, Michigan, with an opportunity to revitalize a 35-acre industrial site comprising 36 buildings. Recognizing the campus’s historic significance and redevelopment potential, the city pursued a feasibility study to establish a roadmap for rehabilitation and future development. The study evaluated opportunities to balance historic preservation, contemporary community needs, and open space while assessing project risks, financial implications, and potential new uses, including an arts incubator. The redevelopment has since advanced through the demolition of non-historic buildings and the completion of the first phase of rehabilitation.

The JJR/HopkinsBurns Design Studio team conducted the initial feasibility study, including general assessments and conceptual designs for historically significant buildings. Following the city’s selection of Conestoga-Rovers & Associates (CRA) as its development partner, HopkinsBurns evaluated the complex’s historic significance and prepared its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. The firm also developed a preliminary rehabilitation approach that qualified the project for historic preservation tax credits and led the application process, securing Federal, State Basic, and State Enhanced tax credits. HopkinsBurns subsequently prepared demolition documents for non-historic portions of the mill and construction documents for Phase One rehabilitation, with both phases of work completed.