Standard Knitting Mill described as a high‑risk redevelopment opportunity

Presenters used Standard Knitting Mill as an example of a privately owned property that has been discussed for a long time but has not yet reached agreement due to cost and complexity. Staff described a pattern of changing ownership, missed financing alignments and a recently discovered unmarked KUB waterline running under the building that would require relocation and raise costs by "a couple million dollars."

City staff emphasized that some sites are simply more challenging and that direct negotiation and site‑specific tools may be appropriate when environmental and structural costs make an open RFQ/RFP process less productive. "So this is privately owned right now. We have worked with several iterations and owners, and this everything hasn't lined up to make this project come over the line yet," one presenter said. Staff encouraged continuing to share known constraints with prospective developers so future proposals can be better informed.

Why it matters: Standard Knitting Mill shows how unknown utilities and specialized financing environments can stall redevelopment and how the city and developers sometimes need site‑specific approaches rather than standard competitive solicitations.