Sell 4 Free Real Estate
Woodworks Seeks to Revive Jasper Desk Company Building
An unused building in downtown Jasper with over a century of local history may soon enjoy
new life as a hybrid space.
At a special meeting of the Jasper Employment Development Commission, Ruger Kerstiens gave
a presentation on behalf of Woodworks, LLC regarding the redevelopment of the old Indiana
Furniture building on Mill Street downtown. He provided a brief background on the project,
explaining that Woodworks, LLC is made up of local entities Premier Property Management and
Krempp Construction (the current owners of the building). They plan to repurpose the building
from its previous use in industrial manufacturing to maintain its historical character and value
to the city. Goals for the conversion include affordable housing and “revitalizing right now what
we deem an underutilized asset in our downtown, … creating an asset that's going to give back
to the city again.”
One section of the building will be converted to market rate apartments, while the north side
will be utilized for commercial space. An architectural firm has been revising schematics for the
interior of the building, but the design of the exterior will be largely retained. The building will
house between 60-64 apartments, with both one and two-bedroom units. Amenities will
include a lounge area, exercise space, and two small workspaces for those working from home.
A courtyard will be added to the space outside for the use of residents. The commercial space
of approximately 50,000 feet is envisioned as a flex space that will be divided into individual
suites for use by small businesses.
Total capital investment on this phase of the project, which includes rebuilding the shell and
partition walls in the commercial space, will be approximately $16.5 million. An application to
the Lilly Endowment resulted in approved funding of $3 million, contingent on a local
supporting match. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2027 with completion by the end of
2028. At that point, the building would be available for sale to prospective buyers.
The development team for Woodworks, LLC has requested partnership with the City of Jasper
for the following expenses that would make up the local match contribution:
1. 10-year property tax abatement
2. $1 million in TIF reimbursement for capital investment and public infrastructure
expenses associated with redevelopment activities.
3. Letter of support for the adjacent water, stormwater, and street infrastructure projects
(estimated at approximately $386,910).
The commission reviewed the project's scoring for a potential 10-year tax abatement. A high
score of 96 points was granted based on criteria such as job retention, investment size,
innovation, and local supplier use. A motion to approve the 96 points for the abatement was
approved and the meeting concluded with a brief discussion about the project's timeline,
dependencies on local government support, and management plans.
For more information on these and other updates, visit jasperindiana.gov or JasperGov-Indiana
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- By Drew Hasselbring