Bessemer City recently won an award for the revitalization of the Osage Mill and according to City Manager Josh Ross, the recognition is a “win for the community.”
In March, the North Carolina Main Street and Rural Planning Center honored Bessemer City for its work with the Osage Mill when it announced that the city had won the 2025 Main Street Design Award.
In the announcement, the NCMSRP called Osage Mill “a shining example of historic preservation, community revitalization, and economic innovation.”
In 2023, WinnDevelopment started construction on the project, turning a $50 million investment into 139 workforce housing units now known as The Lofts at Osage Mill. Another 20,000 square feet of commercial and retail space is in the works in the project’s second phase, the announcement said.
The project "demonstrates the revitalization and redevelopment that we want to see in the community. It’s an investment in a city that we love. In economic development, you don’t want to see buildings sit and degrade because they have an incredible amount of potential and opportunity ... It takes one community vision to create something so impactful," Ross said. "The city is thrilled to have received this. It’s a win for the community and for the city staff who have pushed for this project to happen for quite some time."
https://www.gastongazette.com/story/business/real-estate/2026/04/03/gaston-county-community-sees-a-win-with-mill-renovation/89385537007/?utm_campaign=dailybriefing&utm_content=ngag-gastonia-nletter65&utm_medium=email&utm_source=the-gaston-gazette-daily-briefing&utm_term=hero