Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers Building/Block Under Redevelopment

I got the chance over the weekend to look at another historic building redevelopment that is quietly underway in South Main Village, the urban village centered around South Main in the Near Southside. South Main needs a lot of help, and slowly but surely and with little fanfare, redevelopment is picking up over there, lot by lot, block by block.

Previously, I’ve shown pictures of the Sawyer Grocery buildings at South Main and Daggett, now open as apartments over retail spaces after a redevelopment by developer Eddie Vanston. Earlier in the week I showed some photos from Eddie’s next project, 311 Bryan, aka the Miller Manufacturing Building, near the Sawyer buildings. 311 Bryan is now being redeveloped into 15 lofts.

A block away from 311 Bryan, at Bryan & Broadway, yet another historic building collection is now under redevelopment by another local developer. I’m speaking of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Engineers Building, a former union hall, and the old machine shop adjacent to it.

The collection of buildings is under redevelopment right now into a mixed-use project. The B of L F and E building will feature a second floor residence over a first-floor flex space which can be used for retail, office, creative/artistic space, residential, or some combination of all the above. The machine shop building will be cleared out and will house residential units/artist space, a courtyard, a gym facility, and a large space which could be several things – open air market, beer garden, restaurant, or what have you. Eventually, it will also have a rooftop deck for use of the second floor B of L F and E residence.

This is the view currently inside the B of L F and E ground floor. The storefront facade will be restored to its original appearance. The ground floor will feature a full bathroom and the rest will be open flex space which can be configured into a variety of residential and/or commercial/artistic/retail uses.

Inside the machine shop building. Most of the machinery will be leaving, but some of the older and more interesting pieces will be retained and integrated into the redevelopment. Several of the tables and workbenches are going to be reworked into a variety of pieces in the new project – one large work table I saw was going to be converted into a fire pit for food cooking, another solid steel slab table was going to be polished and used as a kitchen counter, and another was going to be cleaned up and mated with a marble countertop in another unit.

This is the large open space that is planned for a use such as an open air market, restaurant/cafe, or beer garden, or another use of that sort.

Most of the machinery is 1940s/1950s vintage, with some pieces dating back to the 1800s.

This chain link fenced area will be a gym space for residents. A large open area which it faces will become a courtyard.

Upstairs in the B of L F and E building. The formerly covered windows are being opened and new windows are downstairs ready to be installed.

Signs of the old union hall are left throughout, and will be retained.

The large open space, the former union hall, will be the main living/dining area. A kitchen will be created at the back by the row of closets. The doorway on the right leads to another room, where the bedroom and bathroom will be located.

Inside what will be the bedroom. The covered over windows will be restored to let light back in. The window at the rear (not shown here) will be opened into a doorway to the rooftop deck on part of the machine shop building.

Back down in another part of the machine shop building. This will be residential and artistic space. The large machine in the middle is planned to become part of the kitchen in this unit, with a marble countertop added.

Inside more residential/artistic space.

This drill press, which I was told is from the 1800s, will be saved and incorporated into the development as an art piece.

Look for more updates on this project as it progresses.