What should become of old factories (and other industrial spaces) in our own backyards?

After researching gentrification, we considered how old factories and industrial spaces can be transformed in ways that meet a community need in Frankford or our own neighborhoods. We were tasked with coming up with an economic redevelopment idea for the fictional abandoned factory .

Many buildings are torn down without people realizing the historical importance of them and don’t take into account the history of the building but by renovating it the building will still keep its presence. Demolishing the building would also change the standards that the community has. For example, there are new standards for landscaping which can change the character of the community and people have to modify many other places to fit the new standards.

I would buy the old factoryie. Then empty it out and renovate the entire building. Once the renovations were finished, I would have all new machines and turn the factory into a warehouse for clothes. Outside of the factory would be bins that you could dump old clothes in and at the end of every week we would collect the clothes. Then we would take apart the old clothes. Design and turn them into new, nicer clothes. Sell them for a quarter of the price that they were originally priced. And for every piece that was sold, we would give away a meal and blankets.

I believe that Reynolds Co. mill should be preserved, instead of torn down and repurposed. It is important to reserve it so it can stand as a historical landmark. It could stand as an important part of our city’s history, and there is plenty of economic opportunity. Tours could be set up for field trips or tourists, and a small museum of some kind could be set up to educate people on the history of the landmark. It’s preservation could educate the people about what their communities were like long ago, and it could stand as a defining part of Philadelphia’s rich history.

It is important to restore the Reynolds and Co. building without historical preservation. We should knock down the building to create space for something else. In Fishtown, there is very little parking, especially on the Delaware River side of Girard. We should make the area where the old building was into a free parking lot for the people that live in Fishtown.

In my opinion, we should knock down the factory and replace it with affordable, safe, mixed-income, good-quality housing. This could provide people with an affordable place to live while also mixing them with people who have different incomes, instead of putting all low-income people in one apartment building away from other people, which they have done in Philly before.

The Reynolds Co. mill should be knocked down. The building itself is very old which could cause some health problems and safety concerns. If Reynolds Co. mill were to be taken down and we build a factory for something that everyone uses daily we could have more of that item. The Mill has been out of use for almost 30 years and we have yet to do anything with it.

Instead, the mill could become a museum that shows a glimpse of what old factories look like from the inside. The mill could also be restored (while still maintaining its original architecture) to become apartments, as many other retired mills have become. The mill could also be a home to shops inside the building.

I think the best way to preserve the historical side of the building is to use the building as a historical museum. The museum would show what it was like at the time when the mill was used. This museum would create jobs, and it would boost the economy in Frankford because people from all over would come to see the museum. By using this plan, we could preserve this historical building while also boosting the economy.

I believe that the Reynolds and Co. Mill should be converted into a museum honoring the work of the factory workers. Turning this mill into a museum would give the people of Frankford a place to learn about what the neighborhood looked like before the Industrial Revolution.

The building is three stories. Therefore, I would construct the roof into a garden. All proceeds and crops produced by the garden will go to the less fortunate or homeless shelters in need of extra food or money. The top and middle floor will become studio spaces for artists, designers, and anyone who needs the space for their jobs, therefore giving a nod to the previous building and helping pay for transportation of food from the garden. The lower floor will feature a rec center of sorts and low income child care with activities and meals provided.

Keeping and reusing old buildings around the world is a safety hazard to anyone who is exposed to the dangerous fibrous, such as asbestos, the building may contain. The building may also contain lead paint or plumbing. For these reasons I believe it is important for the Reynolds and Co. Textile Works building to be knocked down and transformed into a clothing donation center. There are a lot of people in Philadelphia living in poverty who wear the same clothes that are not fit for the weather all year round.

It is not important to keep Reynolds Co. Mill because it's been shut down for 30 years and no one has even put up a fight to keep it. The people of Frankford could use something fresh and new instead of an old and abandoned factory. Reynolds Co. Mill should be transformed into a football stadium for Frankford High...In addition to this, sports often can help bring groups of people together by getting behind a common force. I believe that the neighborhood of Frankford could really use something to bring them all together and that is why I want the mill to be turned into a football field.

I believe the best path for the Frankford community is to remodel the Reynolds and Co factory to be a place for retail space, and a new home for the Frankford library. With three floors, imagine this- a sort of mall like oasis with dining options, and popular stores, complete with a library where one could go to study, read or relax. Not only would this preserve the historical site it would allow more jobs to be brought into the Frankford community, and raise the amount of visitors which would allow more money to be brought into the community.

Reynolds and Co. Textile Works should be a museum because of its rich history. It has gone through and at one point flourished during some of the world’s most major events. This place can teach children of all ages about what life was back then, what the company did during major events, and how much the world has globalized since this old company. With some renovations, safety, and health checks, the Reynolds and Co. Textile Works can flourish once more!

For my plan I would like to keep historical preservation of the building while still making it into a useful space. I did some research on examples of factories being preserved. At first I took an idea from The High Line in New York, and wanted to create it into an open space filled with plants, but then remembered that there wouldn't be any profit off of that, and there wouldn't be enough sunlight. I decided to make it into a homeless shelter and soup kitchen. It’s important to preserve old historical places because with all the gentrification, this city is slowly turning into a place with not many old houses, landmarks, and other things and more million dollar houses and chain stores.

Page updated

Report abuse