Project Overview

The main “ice house” building will be a reimagined space that builds on its unique attributes as a former ice depository, predating the ability to mass produce refrigeration. This unique building is an existing vacant 30,000-square-foot brick, wood, and steel structure that was originally constructed as a regional ice production and delivery building and was most recently used as a powder coating facility. Given the exciting architectural features and stance of this structure along Woodward Heights, it is logical to attempt to adaptively reuse this structure. The building will undergo an extensive renovation that includes editing a portion of the peripheral structures to provide improved access and greatly expand usable outdoor space. Intended uses, as confirmed through neighborhood discussion and focus groups, include an event center, food hall, health and beauty, arts and entertainment, food/beverage production, and pop-up to permanent vendor space.

Also present on the site and will be remaining in its current form is Drifter Coffee. This building was the original security building and weigh station for the Ice House has been adaptively reused as a popular coffee house. Drifter has become a major contributor to the energy of the area and Alleah Webb is an ambassador for small business and community causes. Drifter would remain as a nucleus business and will benefit from greatly improved exterior areas, direct connection to the expanded green area south of the Ice House, and the increased presence of consumers from neighboring businesses and new residents from the housing.

The final component is the south industrial building, which is an existing 60,60,000-square-foot industrial building that was originally constructed for industrial manufacturing, expanded several times over the decades, and was most recently used as a wire products manufacturing building. Given the functional obsolescence, condition, and general “chopped up” nature of this building, it is logical that this structure should be demolished for a new use, proposed as an attractive four-story 100-unit apartment building. The residential building will serve the needs of workers in the immediate area, which will further solidify the City’s industry area by providing workers with an attainable nearby housing option, and also serve multi-generational tenants with offerings including first-floor accessible units, studios, one-bedroom units, social/gathering spaces, and extensive greenspace. We fully intend to explore options for dedicated affordability for workforce housing per the City of Ferndale guidelines.

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PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT (PUD)

‍This is a form of planning that allows for flexibility and creativity in normal zoning requirements. There are several requirements in the City's zoning ordinance that applicants must fulfill in order to qualify for this type of project. Those requirements include the following:

Preservation of significant natural features; a complementary mixture of uses; sustainable building and site design; open space greenways to link to adjacent to greenway corridors; transition areas from adjacent land uses; provision of affordable housing units; diversification of housing types provided in the City; preservation of historical buildings or site features; improvements to public streets or other public infrastructure; pedestrian and transit-oriented development; coordinated development of multiple assembled small parcels; and removal or renovation of blighted buildings, or sites or clean up of site contamination.

PUD projects are reviewed by staff and the Planning Commission via a Public Hearing, with final approval from City Council via Public Hearing.

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