The TownSite Co. acquired this building not long ago when it bought what is usually known as the former Motheral Printing site in the Near Southside. TownSite is making plans at the 11-acre assemblage of buildings and vacant lots centered around the intersection of South Main & Pennsylvania for a mixed-use development on the site.
One of the buildings on the property is shown here - though most of you probably won’t recognize it. Until very recently, the building wore the results of a terrible renovation from the ’60s or ’70s - covered in rough concrete panels and gold metal grates. There was little to suggest what lay underneath.
Well, TownSite’s been removing the concrete and metal, and has revealed the building’s original form - a classic red brick loft-style building that was once a Coca-Cola bottling plant.
TownSite’s Phillip Poole shared with me that the company is stripping the modernized facade off as they study the block’s potential for various uses through redevelopment. Phillip was also kind enough to send me these two photos he acquired showing the building during its previous life as the Coca-Cola plant.
Great to see this building getting a chance to be reborn after so much neglect. The potential is here on the Motheral site for a really great mixed-use development and I look forward to seeing more of TownSite’s plans. A big thank you to Phillip Poole for providing the historic photos and information on the project.
(Also a thank you to Eddie Vanston for letting me know that work had begun at the site!)
I drive past this building nearly every day and I was so happy to see them stripping the “ugly” off. Thanks for the info, Kevin.