Media
Release
CONTACT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kevin
C. Rabago
Office
of Development & Planning
(856)
451- 3407
KELLY TO DEDICATE NEW MURAL TO HONOR
INDUSTRIAL PAST AT FORMER VAL MODE
Though several years in
the making, Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly is set to dedicate a new mural at the
River Walk senior apartment complex, formerly the Val Mode Lingerie Factory on November
7th at 2:00pm, as part of honoring Bridgeton’s industrial past
through preservation.
The project, part of
historic mitigation intended to build a bridge between the old Val Mode factory
and its conversion into a senior apartment complex, completes the final step in
an adaptive reuse project that began a decade ago.
“When Bridgeton received
approval to convert the vacant Val Mode factory into much needed housing for
our seniors, all were mindful of the historic aspect of the site. Under the
leadership of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), we came up with a
way to connect the buildings’ history with its present use.” said Kelly.
Because the factory is a
historic site within Bridgeton’s historic district, part of the process of
converting the factory included measuring the impact from a historic
standpoint. Because the site embodied key parts of Bridgeton’s industrial past,
converting the factory meant mitigation measures to recognize the sites’ significance.
With approximately $36,000
provided by developer R.H Tourtelot back in 2006 and the mitigation measures
yet to be taken when he was elected mayor, Kelly committed to completing the
project as a way to honor Bridgeton’s industrial past and the factory specifically
through public art and a mural seemed an ideal way to do that.
“The mural in our downtown
pocket park was a well-received addition to our community. With that in mind, I
wanted to use the same approach with the old Val Mode factory to satisfy the
historic mitigation requirement that was part of converting the factory” said
Kelly.
Cesar Viveros, the artist
who completed Bridgeton’s downtown pocket park mural, was selected and armed
with research on the factory and previous research on Bridgeton, set to work on
a series of designs for the mural.
“Bridgeton has a rich
history as I learned working on the downtown mural. I wanted to capture what
the Val Mode factory meant to Bridgeton and its people and I kept that in mind
as I worked on designs” said Viveros.
In addition to the images
that make up the mural, the design includes interpretive text that spells out
some of the history of the site including its various additions from 1890’s
through the 1950”s.
The site, which had
several buildings, was alternately home to the Grand Army of the Republic
Veteran’s Organization, Preston Turkish Towel Company, Acme Cut Glass Compnay,
Stecher’s Silk Waist Factory, Miller Brothers, Morvay & Schrank Company,
and finally Val Mode.
While the site is mostly
identified with local manufacturer M.C Shrank, it hosted Mor-Wear Brand which
combined with Fruit of the Loom in the 1920’s and linked with the making of
undergarments and lingerie for most of its history, the factory closed out its
industrial phase as Val Mode in the 1980’s.
In 2001, the site was
selected for the adaptive reuse project that ultimately resulted in the River Walk
Senior Apartments.
“I appreciate the hard
work of everyone who made this project possible, including our partners at SHPO,
the team at Riverwalk and the owners represented by PNC Real Estate
Vice-President John Watkins, who worked with us to make it happen. This mural should help us remember the men
and woman over several generations that labored at this site to make Bridgeton
part of the nation’s larger industrial story” said Kelly.
The dedication of the
mural will take place on November 7th at 2:00pm at the Riverwalk Senior Complex
located at 40 Riverwalk South (along Route 49 next to the Cohansey River).
# # #
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| New mural at former Val Mode factory connects the sites' past with the present Riverwalk Senior Complex |
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| Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly Dedicates new mural at former Val Mode Factory-now Riverwalk Senior Housing Complex, the new mural, years in the making, was part of historic mitigation to convert the factory into a housing complex |
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| Bridgeton Mayor Albert Kelly addresses friends and supporters at dedication of new Val Mode Factory mural Nov 7th 2014 |
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| Famed Philadelphia Mural Artist Cesar Viveros discusses his work on the new mural at the former Val Mode factory (now Riverwalk Senior Housing Complex) at November 7, 2014 dedication ceremony |