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The basics of the Textile Building

Address: 205 W. Fourth St., Downtown

Building type: Residential with street-level retail

Developer/contractor/architect: The Bernstein Cos., HGC Construction, Strada

Size: 268,000 square feet, 14 stories

What you need to know about the Textile Building: The former office and manufacturing hub is now housing

Downtown Cincinnati's 116-year-old Textile Building is getting a $69 million upgrade from offices into 282 market-rate apartments. The project comes on the heels of other recent office-to-condo conversions in and near the West Fourth Street Historic District such as Fourth & Plum Apartments next door. Washington, D.C.-based developer the Bernstein Cos. will add a variety of amenities to the historic structure including a rooftop deck and dog run, a fitness center, game room, bike storage, tenant storage, a golf simulator, a sub-basement basketball court, a dog wash and a bar that residents can book.

Many of the southern-facing units − with their industrial-size windows − boast views right into Paycor Stadium. The Textile Building will offer units with one-to-three bedrooms ranging from 421 square feet to 1,900 square feet. A typical two-bedroom unit will be about 880 square feet. Rent ranges have yet to be announced.

"This may be one of the most amenity-rich buildings we've ever delivered," said Philip Aftuck, director of investments for the Bernstein Cos. His development company specializes in converting historic office buildings into multifamily housing.

The Textile Building will be outfitted with entirely new mechanical systems that will allow it to be more sustainable. Residents will be able to heat and cool their units individually, for example, which isn't common in buildings this age.

Architecture of the Textile Building: Commercial and Renaissance revival

The Textile Building was designed by Cincinnati native and architect Gustav W. Drach and built in 1906 to merge the city's bustling garment and textile manufacturing scene into one structure. The Bernstein Cos. gutted the interior and paid special attention to stabilizing andsavingthe structure's brick and terra cotta facade. From the cornice overhang lining the roof to the cast-iron window casings and ornamental medallions, the majority of the historic elementswere preserved on the outside of the building.

Some of the windows on the first and second floors of the residential portion are also original, as are the street-level windows and the polished concrete floors in each unit. The building was last renovated into class A office space in 1987. "We decided to highlight the warehouse nature of the building when it came to the interior architecture," said Sean Beasley, principal of the Pittsburgh design firm Strada. "The ceilings are tall and exposed, there's tons of natural light and the floors are bare."

How you can see the inside

Stay tuned for an announcement on the future retail tenants.

Here's where the project stands and what's ahead

Construction of the individual units is currently underway at the Textile Building. Pre-leasing is expected to begin in the spring and tenants may move in by May 1. The street-level commercial spaces are open for leasing now.

What locals think about the renovated Textile Building

Bob Schwartz, who has lived downtown for 18 years, is excited to see the neighborhood come alive again with new residents. With the Textile Building bringing almost 300 units online, he hopes more small businesses will begin to open up. "The Textile Building would be an awesome spot for an urban Target, but I'd love to see a restaurant there too," he said.

Retired photographer Rick Dieringer rented a studio in the Textile Building in the 1970s before moving his work into his current home on Court Street. As a longtime advocate of downtown living, he's thrilled to see the structure being repurposed as apartments alongside the other building conversions going on in the area. "All of those buildings on the south side of Fourth Street have such flavor but there's a lot of disused space," he said. "Putting 24-hour activity back into the Textile Buiding may well focus much-needed attention on those other properties on that street."

How you can get involved at the Textile Building

The two street-level retail units are currently available for leasing and are ready to be built out. The Bernstein Cos. told The Enquirer it is willing to custom build a restaurant in the 3,899-square-foot western unit without requiring percentage rent. The 2,575-square-foot eastern unit includes the original bank vault. Contact Blake Bartley at Urban Fast Forward for a tour.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati's oldest manufacturing building to become apartments