SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- For years, the former Dietz lantern factory on Wilkinson Street has sat dark -- but that recently changed.
"Now you come by here at nighttime, and the whole building is lit up," said loft developer Lawrence V. Losty Jr. "I mean, it's a whole difference for somebody who spent 20 years here seeing it from day one, and coming toward the future. It makes a big difference."
These days, the 208,000-square-foot building is full of activity, with crews transforming the entire space.
"It does take quite a bit of time to put a prize like this together," Losty said. "People don't realize there's so many different situations that come up with the city of Syracuse. It's a historical tax credit building and so forth; there's a lot involved, so it takes almost a whole year."
Once complete, the former Dietz factory will be home to 92 apartments and nearly 50,000 square feet of commercial space.
"It really will be a mixed-use commercial project that will have the living space for up to 92 residents, 119 bedrooms and commercial space, so we bring back jobs to this neighborhood," added Dietz Lofts developer Matthew Paulus.
Part of the challenge, though, is maintaining the integrity and historic nature of the long-time building.
The building is expected to be open by August of next year. For more information on the Dietz Lofts, click here.