Cigar Factory – Multiple Tenants, Adaptive Reuse

Charleston’s five story textile mill known as “The Cigar Factory” was built in 1881 and was taken over by American Tobacco Company, serving both the textile and tobacco industries into the 1970’s. Purchased and restored by WECCO Development in 2014, the McMillan Pazdan Smith interiors team has provided test fits to 37 companies planning to locate there, with 26 of them moving forward into the design phase. The mix of tenants includes retail, restaurant, property management firms, financial investment, and insurance firms, as well as other professional services, ranging in size from 850 SF to over 23,000 SF — many of whom were first-time tenants and new to the architectural space-planning process altogether.

Across all these projects, our firm sought to maintain the historical integrity of the building, carefully inserting clients into the existing aesthetic while doing as little as possible to the beautiful structure. Exposed wood ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and exposed brick were kept visible throughout to show the greatest historic sensitivity possible.