The Star of the West Flour Mill is a massive part of the downtown Kent skyline, but it hasn’t operated since 2017.
Shifting commodities trends have left vacant mills and factories littered across the U.S. over the past century. As the abandoned buildings posed a problem for cities fighting urban blight, developers began restoring and repurposing the sturdy brick buildings for museum, residential and commercial use. The conversions often preserve or restore the historic structures and bring new life to the buildings and their neighborhoods.
Join our community of supporters to access this article
Articles older than 30 days are available to Portager subscribers with a Plus or Premium plan. Subscriptions start at just $1/month.
Already a paid subscriber? Log in here
Plus
Get more from your email newsletter.
$1+ /month
View subscription options- Email newsletter delivered Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- Full access to The Portager website
- Participate in the community forum
- Access articles older than 30 days
- Read the publisher's comments in the email newsletter
- List of real estate transactions
- Local comic strip, Headwater Tales
- Donate one free ad per year to a local business or charity
- Print newspaper home delivery via USPS
- Sudokus and crosswords
- 20% off everything in The Portager shop
Premium
Get our print newspaper delivered.
$17 /month
$180 /year
View monthly option View yearly option- Email newsletter delivered Monday, Wednesday and Friday
- Full access to The Portager website
- Participate in the community forum
- Access articles older than 30 days
- Read the publisher's comments in the email newsletter
- List of real estate transactions
- Local comic strip, Headwater Tales
- Donate one free ad per year to a local business or charity
- Print newspaper home delivery via USPS
- Sudokus and crosswords
- 20% off everything in The Portager shop