VIDEOS AND PHOTOS from our hard hat tour of the ambitious project to reinvigorate the historic Horlick District
Horlick Campus animation
Horlick District Redevelopment - Fourth floor apartment framing work at Horlick Flats, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine
In this fourth floor view at Horlick Flats, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Aaron Smith, CG Schmidt project superintendent, checks on the progress of framing work on Horlick Flats' 60 market-rate and affordable apartments. Horlick Flats is slated for completion by the end of May 2021.
Horlick District Redevelopment - First and second floor view at Horlick Flats, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine
Workmen from Milwaukee-based CG Schmidt continue to lay the restorative groundwork for the buildout of the Horlick's Malted Milk Co. factory buildings at 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine, into the 60-unit Horlick Flats market-rate and affordable housing development. Seen here are the first and second floors of the 1902 heart of the three interconnected buildings.
Horlick District Redevelopment - Structural steel and hand-rivet detail at Horlick Flats, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine
Original structural elements of the old Horlick Malted Milk Co. buildings, such as this hand-riveted steel girder, are being incorporated as a design element whenever possible into J. Jeffers & Company's redevelopment of the Horlick factory complex as the mixed-use, town square-styled Horlick District development. When totally build out, the $100 million redevelopment is projected to encompass ten building on 13 acres at 2100-2243 Northwestern Ave., Racine.
Horlick District Redevelopment - Horlick Flats, third floor
The renovated third floor at Horlick Flats, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine, awaits framing into apartments. As a historic factory structure, old architectural elements including Cream City brick masonry walls, wood tongue-and-groove flooring/ceilings, and hand-riveted structural steel will be incorporated as interior design elements whenever possible.
Horlick District Phase One Redevelopment - Horlick Lofts, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine
The redevelopment of the 10-building, 13-acre former Horlick Malted Milk Co. campus as the Horlick District includes the conversion of three interconnected, circa 1902-07 Gothic Revival-styled factory buildings at 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine, into 12 market-rate and 48 affordable housing units. The estimated price tag from Milwaukee developer J. Jeffers & Company is $12 million for Phase I.
Horlick District Phase One Redevelopment - Headquarters at Horlick, 2200 Northwestern Ave., Racine
Next spring, Phase One work at Horlick District will transition to redeveloping the Gothic Revival-styled three- and four-story flagship home office Horlick Malted Milk Co. factory, 2200 Northwestern Ave., into Headquarters at Horlick. Built in 1882, with a harmonizing 1910 addition, the structure is widely recognized for its architecturally-distinctive clock tower.
Geurts said construction work on Headquarters at Horlick will begin in Spring 2021 to transform the former corporate headquarters malted milk factory into 84 market-rate rental apartments, with completion of Headquarters at Horlick anticipated in Spring 2022.
Horlick Lofts, roof replacement
Standing largely vacant for decades and falling into disrepair, redevelopment in some areas of the Horlick Lofts project at the old Horlick's Malted Milk Co. factory, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine, are largely a gut and rebuil proposition. Despite the evident decay, CG Schmidt project superintendent Aaron Smith told The Journal Times that the circa 1902-07 Horlick Flats buildings offer "really good bones" for a clean-slate renewal, citing the thick Cream City brick exterior masonry walls and hand-riveted structural steel seen here.
CG Schmidt project superintendent Aaron Smith gives a hard hat tour of the Horlick District redevelopment project
CG Schmidt project superintendent Aaron Smith gives a hard-hat tour earlier this month of the ongoing $12 million Phase One redevelopment of the historic former Horlick's Malted Milk Co. factory complex at 2100-2234 Northwestern Ave.
Horlick District Phase One development - Panorama View, November 2020
Panorama view of part of $12 million Phase One developments at Horlick District on the 13-acre former Horlick Malted Milk Co. campus, 2100-2234 Northwestern Ave., Racine. Phase One developments by Milwaukee-based J. Jeffers & Co. include a 60-unit market-rate and affordable living development of Horlick Lofts at right, 2100 Northwestern Ave., built 1902-07, with completion expected at the end of May 2021. At left, work will begin in Spring 2021 for the one-year development of 84 market-rate housing units in Headquarters at Horlick, 2200 Northwestern Ave., the flagship home office Horlick's plant, built 1882-1901. The Gothic Revival-styled Horlick's factory campus is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Horlick Flats, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine - Horlick Foods Co. Cornerstone, 1905
Circa-1905 Horlick Foods Co. cornerstone at 60-unit Horlick Flats market-rate and affordable housing development, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine. Completion is expected at the end of May 2021.
Horlick District Redevelopment - Horlick Malted Milk Co. 1907 cornerstone at Horlick Flats, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine
Circa-1907 Horlick Malted Milk Co. cornerstone at 60-unit Horlick Flats market-rate and affordable housing development, 2100 Northwestern Ave., Racine. Completion is expected at the end of May 2021.
Horlick's Malted Milk tins and jars
Vintage product packaging from Racine-based Horlick's Malted Milk Co., including jars and tins, is a popular nostalgic collectible today.
Horlick's Malted Milk Co. postcard, 1909
Circa-1909 advertising postcard shows Horlick Malted Milk Company's Racine factory complex, 2100-2234 Northwestern Ave., and extols the many virtues of the company's malted milk. The Gothic Revival-styled plant, still familiar to Racine residents today, is slated for a $100 million mixed-use redevelopment as Horlick District. A $12 million Phase One initiative now underway will see the May 2021 completion of the 60-unit market-rate and affordable housing Horlick Lofts at 2100 Northwestern Ave., and the Spring 2022 completion of the 84-unit market-rate housing Headquarters at Horlick, 2200 Northwestern Ave.
Horlick's Malted Milk ad, February 1969
Across its long history, Racine-based Horlick's Malted Milk was a prolific print advertiser, as seen here in this February 1969 advertisement for Horlicks instant chocolate-flavored malted milk. Horlicks, which long enjoyed a brisk retail business at the nation's supermarkets and wholesale trade to soda fountains and lunch counters, saw its sales precipitously slide in the 1960s and 1970s as changing tastes saw consumers increasingly switch to soft drinks and flavored ice milk shakes at drive-ins and other fast food purveyors. Employing 300 in Racine at its peak, the local payroll had dwindled to 63 when Horlick's Racine plant was closed by New Jersey-based parent Beecham, Inc. in March 1975. Said Beecham personnel director Donald Drescher of the decision to close the plant and wind down the Horlick's brand, "It (malted milk) is simply not a popular drink anymore." Horlick's Racine plant and malted milk brand, which enjoyed a long and storied 1882-1975 run in the U.S., was doomed in large part by three consecutive years of "substantial losses" spurred by sharply rising commodity costs and an all-but-disappeared American market for malted milk products. Still produced abroad, Horlicks Malted Milk continues to be highly popular in Great Britain, Australia and India among other overseas markets. Today, Horlicks is available in the U.S. from online retailers.
Horlick's Malted Milk - Racine plant auction ad, May 1975
After 93 years of production in Racine, New Jersey-based parent company Beecham, Inc., which bought Horlick's U.S. and British operations in 1969, on Jan. 5, 1975 announced the impending closure and wind-down of its Racine-based manufacturing operations, with the Northwestern Avenue factory ending operations in March. The move, which resulted in the loss of 62 Racine jobs, saw the demise of the time-honored Horlick's Malted Milk brand in the U.S. In this May 25, 1975 Journal Times ad, Chicago-based auctioneer Norman Levy & Co. advertised the upcoming June 5 auction of Horlick's production equipment and office furnishings.
Horlick's Malted Milk - "Lum & Abner" sponsorship on Mutual Broadcasting System
Long active in print advertising, Racine-based Horlick Malted Milk Co. was an early and active network radio advertisers, including Horlick's 1934-37 exclusive sponsorship of Mutual Broadcasting Network's comedy series "Lum and Abner," starring Chester Lauck Ileft) as Clarence "Lum" Edwards and Norris Goff (right) as Abner Peabody. As part of its sponsorship of the program, Horlick's offered listeners a variety of Lum and Abner-themed promotions, including popular annual almanacs. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, Horlick's radio sponsorships had moved to the popular Mutual action and adventure series "The Lone Ranger," which enjoyed an audience of 20 million Americans.
Horlick's Malted Milk advertisement, October 1957
Over its long history, Horlick's Malted Milk Company was a prolific advertising across a variety of mediums including newspapers, magazine, direct mail and radio. Pictured is a Horlick's print ad from October 1957 promoting the company's newly-introduced chocolate-flavored instant malted milk. Other flavors included natural and vanilla.
Horlick's Malted Milk magazine advertisement - June 1905
Racine-based Horlick's Malted Milk company was an active advertiser, as seen in this June 1905 ad from Munsey's Magazine, a weekly American magazine founded in 1889 by Frank A. Munsey as a "magazine of the people and for the people, with pictures and art and good cheer and human interest throughout." At the time of this advertisement, Horlick's operated branch distribution offices in London, England and Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A British factory was established in Slough, Bershire, England in 1908.
Horlick's Malted Milk newspaper advertisement - June 1939
Racine-based Horlick's Malted Milk Co, 2100-2234 Northwestern Ave., was a prolific newspaper and magazine advertiser, as seen in this June 1939 newspaper ad. The company was also an early advertiser on network radio in the 1930s and 1940s, sponsoring popular shows including "Lum and Abner" and "The Lone Ranger."
William Horlick, founder, Horlick Malted Milk Co.
Horlick
Horlick Lofts project - Racine, Wi, November 2020
“Mr. Horlick was one of the very best citizens I have ever known. He was a great benefactor and the people of Racine are under heavy obligation to him for his many contributions to the advancement and improvement of the city. He was a man of high ideals, and his death will be one of the greatest losses Racine has had for many years.” – Henry C. Baker
It was hard for some to see the potential in the old Horlick Malted Milk Complex. Josh Jeffers got Racine's leaders to see his vision of bringing affordable and market-rate housing together. Now all he needs is a giant clock repairman.
The City of Racine is continuing to work toward being a leader in clean energy with help from private, for-profit partners.
The company is planning to use "old world" building materials, such as stone, masonry, and brick. “These types of materials that don’t really get used as often as they were used 100 years ago."
There are some things that have not changed for Charnele Evans, including her manis and pedis every two weeks. “I want my daughters to know this is not man’s work ... I didn’t have to change anything about me,” the mother said. “Nothing about me has changed since I have been on this job – besides me being happy.”
