The face of downtown Mebane is undergoing a major transformation. A project to convert the several blocks formerly occupied by the Kingsdown mattress factory into 217 tony apartments and 9,396 square feet of commercial space is now in full swing.
Only one original building, the so-called Cotton Building (above), at the corner of Washington and Third Streets, is being kept; it will be renovated into meeting and event space; there will also be a rooftop pool.
[Story continues below photos of the current work at the former Kingsdown site.]
Plans were approved by the city council in October 2022 on a 4-1 vote; demolition crews are busy tearing down the remnants of what had been the headquarters of one of Mebane’s oldest and most prestigious businesses.
Kingsdown had been an anchor of the downtown area from most of the past 119 years; the company has moved some of its operations to a newer facility around the corner and with a larger manufacturing facility beside I-85/40.
The new facility will have one- and two-bedroom apartments, with first floor space along the Washington Street side for commercial spaces for restaurants, coffee shops, or other businesses.
Plans call for 217 apartments – 177 one-bedroom units and another 40 with two bedrooms. Buildings along Washington Street will be four stories tall, while those along West Holt Street on the “back side” of the development will be three stories.
See the newspaper’s coverage of city council’s October 2022 approval of the proposed development: https://alamancenews.com/mebane-city-council-oks-rezoning-for-mixed-use-project-downtown-4-1/
