Early Thursday afternoon, Pulaski Lofts’ Pico Terrace groundbreaking ceremony took place. When finished, this building will have 102 renovated units.
This facility housed Pulaski Middle School from 1974 until its spring 2020 closing. This 1937 building overlooking Pulaski was formerly the PICO Terrace Elementary School. The facility became Pulaski High School in the 1950s until 1974, when high schools merged.
County officials and community members stood in front of a row of sparkling shovels for the groundbreaking. The day’s activities were personal for Massie District supervisor Mike Mooney and Pulaski County Economic Development Authority Chairman Andy Owens
First speaker was Pulaski County Board of Supervisors Chair Laura Walters.
“Today, we break ground on Pulaski Lofts, a project which represents both progress and preservation,” Walters remarked. “The Lofts Project goes beyond development. It shows how adaptive reuse may restore a historic building and connect the past and present.
We start the transition through adaptive reuse, honoring the past and creating a great location for people to live, work, and grow while keeping its character and history. Anytime you can maintain legacy and go forward is a great match.”
The $18 million restoration is being done by Edwin Gaskin’s Echelon Resources. The Virginia Housing Development Authority supplied $12 million while Locus Bank offered a $6 million bridge loan. Gaskins wants to finish Pulaski Lofts by late summer instead of October 2025.
Echelon Resources’ 50-person construction crew has been on site since August and completed substantial work. All front glass windows have been removed, and lofts are being built in the old school.
“The windows are being restored with the same frames and new glass,” Gaskin said. “We’ll replace all that glass, paint, and rotten wood. Those windows require extensive carpentry. We’re installing an inside storm window system because the state and federal won’t allow outdoor storms due to prior tax subsidies.
Jonathan Sweet, Pulaski County Administrator, explains how a municipality can attain big goals like having 40,000 residents by 2030. “This historic property can continue to serve this community as pet-friendly, market-rate one-to-two-bedroom loft style apartments with luxury amenities.
“Workforce housing is a passion of mine and we cannot grow our businesses if we do not have a place to house the employees we want to bring in here to expand our businesses,” State Senator Travis Hackworth said the audience.
Gaskin stated, “This building predates me and if we do our job right, will long outlast me.” “We consider ourselves stewards over this chapter of its redevelopment, and hopefully it will last many, many, many more decades.”
After the groundbreaking, Gaskins provided a brief building tour. Crews built various wooden frames within each unit to build new rooms using sheet rock.
“This whole building qualifies for Historic Tax Credits,” Gaskins told the small crowd as he took them into the ancient school building. “The ceiling and floor are gone. Because asbestos abounded here.
The county received $400,000 in subsidies and spent an additional $200,000 in abatement, and counting. Frankly, I’ve never seen that much asbestos.”Built-in cabinetry, transoms above the doors, and slate chalkboards remain in these classrooms, which are being entirely refurbished.
Gaskin explained that working with building code officials is crucial for addressing unique features like transoms over doors that are unavailable on other homes. These old doors don’t fit contemporary building standards, yet we can’t change them.
Historic buildings and building codes interact. The historic tax credits will make these ancient windows single-pain windows and cost a fortune to restore.Except for the basement windows, most of these new units will have wide windows.
Jonathan Sweet and Edwin Gaskin thanked the Pulaski Lofts Project’s participants, including the school board, economic development authority, planning and community development department, and town of Pulaski.