Newport News' lower Jefferson historic building makeovers nearly complete | With Video & Photo Gallery

Gabriel Lipsky of Rehab Builders talks about the value of restoring historic buildings for future use. The former Mesic Hardware store and George Washington School in southeast Newport News are being renovated and repurposed as Jefferson Brookville Apartm

NEWPORT NEWS Three historic buildings on lower Jefferson Avenue are getting a second life as apartment buildings, as the city continues its effort to revitalize the area.

The former Mesic Hardware store on Jefferson Avenue, a school built in 1899 and the 100-year-old Roam building, along with two new buildings, will soon be home to 64 new downtown apartments.

The Roam building, at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and 28th Street, now called the Lofts on Jefferson, opened about two months ago with 14 one-bedroom units. All but two are now occupied one that is wheelchair-accessible. Workers from MGT Construction, of Richmond, gutted and reconstructed all three floors of the building and repalced the roof, while preserving the brick exterior.

Down the street, the Mesic Hardware building is being transformed into five apartments that connect to a newly constructed building. Another detached apartment building was also built on the same side of Jefferson, across from 26th street. The 42 units should be available for occupancy in October, said Karen Wilds, executive director of the Newport News Redevelopment and Housing Authority.

About two blocks away at 815 28th Street, the finishing touches are being put on the old George Washington School. The two-story brick school, built in 1899, once housed students in grades 4-6. Now, the building's classrooms are converted into eight one-bedroom apartments, which should be ready for occupancy by the end of the month, Wilds said.

The school sits on a quiet residential street near about a dozen new homes the RHA has built as part of its program for first-time home buyers.

The school, along with Mesic Hardware and the two new buildings, will be part of a development called Jefferson Brookville Apartments; residents can access the shared amenities in the Mesic building's first-floor community room, including an indoor playground.

Both Mesic Hardware and school buildings retain their unique characters through the original ceilings, stairways and front doors, said Amanda Adams, an associate with North Carolina-based CJMW Architecture and the site's project manager.

The firm's goal with Jefferson Brookville was to restore the Jefferson corridor as a living model of an active, truly urban neighborhood as it once was, Adams said a mission the city has been trying to accomplish for years.

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Newport News' lower Jefferson historic building makeovers nearly complete | With Video & Photo Gallery