The historic Horlick District will have a new purpose as a multi-use location, including residential, commercial, and recreational spaces. The project is an initiative to revive the inactive malted milk complex in Racine, Wisconsin.

The complex, established by William Horlick in 1873, was once the largest malted milk factory in the world.

Horlick Factory Former Global Exporter

“At its peak, these buildings helped spawn a culinary marvel feeding Arctic explorers, even astronauts, with a new product what you know today as malted milk,” reports Sam Kraemer.

“Way before globalization the Horlick malted milk complex, these factories, were exporting malted milk all over the world right here from Racine,” says Joshua Jeffers, J. Jeffers & Company President & CEO.

Preservation and Adaptive Reuse Construction

The project aims to preserve the site’s historic nature by incorporating elements of the factory’s history into the development design. The development team has worked closely with community leaders and residents to ensure that the project aligns with the needs and desires of the community.

The development is expected to be completed over the next several years, with the first phase focusing on redeveloping the main factory building.

“We want to have a true mixed-use redevelopment here, so apartments, office space, hospitality, bars, restaurants, cafes…” iterates Jeffers.

A Phase-Based Project

Phase one will convert 2100 and 2200 Northwestern into 136 apartments. J. Jeffers & Company wants to preserve as much as possible, as the space was recently added to the State Register of Historic Places in December.

Racine Mayor, Cory Mason, says, “They really don’t build buildings like this anymore. The attention to detail, the cream city brick, the castle-like features that are on the façade, it’s just really beautiful.”

Creating a Town Center

The apartments are just the beginning, as the goal is to acquire the rest of the property and establish a new Town Center in the Horlick name. The company intends on breaking ground this month, and they plan to finish the first two apartment buildings by the fall of 2021.

The Historic Horlick District Development has the potential to bring new life to a historic site and provide a variety of benefits for the community.

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