MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — The former Mirro Aluminum Company site in downtown Manitowoc is moving toward a new future after years of sitting empty, with a 59-unit income-based apartment complex now approved for development.
The project, called Maritime Lofts, will bring much-needed housing to an area that has struggled with low vacancy rates and limited affordable options.
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Colleen Homb, executive director of local nonprofit Lakeshore CAP, said the need goes beyond just affordable housing.
"There is a low vacancy rate, which means there's not enough housing stock across the spectrum from low-income to higher-income housing opportunities," Homb said.
"From my perspective and the work we do, low-income housing, which is not quite workforce affordable, is a huge need," Homb said.
For many in Manitowoc, the site carries deep personal and historical significance. Mirro Aluminum Company was founded in 1909 and helped define industry along the lakeshore for generations.
Philip Groll, a volunteer archivist with the Manitowoc Historical Society, said the company's impact stretched far beyond the local economy.
"It's a proud thing for our city to have had something like that," Groll said.
"World War One came on… they were making pots and pans… knives and forks… for the military," Groll said.
"Grandpa worked there, dad worked there, I'm gonna work there," Groll said.
That generational legacy still lives on around town. At Salute to Everyone, bar owner Derek Felber has spent years collecting Manitowoc memorabilia — and now has the former Mirro sign hanging on his wall.
"I came across the sign, ... you'll never find one like it again," Felber said.
Felber's connection to Mirro is personal. His grandmother worked at the company for more than 20 years.
"When people come in here, that's the first thing they look at — 'OMG Mirro, my dad worked there, my grandma worked there.' It's a staple in Manitowoc," Felber said.
Construction on Maritime Lofts is expected to begin later this year, with work ramping up as soon as final permits are secured.
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