Factory 52 Urban Redevelopment

Landscape Architecture & Community Planning – Implementation

Project Narrative

Factory 52 represents a vibrant mixed-use community strategically located within the City of Norwood on the historic grounds of the former home of the United States Playing Card Company (USPCC) facility, one of the leading producers of playing cards in the United States known for their durability and distinctive design featuring a two-wheeled bicycle. In 2009, USPCC relocated leaving the Norwood facility abandoned and later being partially demolished. The site stood as a brownfield for more than a decade until it was proposed for revitalization as a mixed-use development.

The Factory 52 development serves as a catalyst for rejuvenating the eastern precinct of the city, offering a pedestrian-friendly community for residents and visitors with its blend of residential, retail, recreational, and outdoor communal spaces. Not only does it invite residents of Norwood to return repeatedly, but it also emerges as a sought-after entertainment hub for neighboring communities. The development artfully integrates the site's rich historical heritage, seamlessly weaving together existing landmark structures with carefully conceived new buildings, paying homage to the site's history.

The comprehensive plan encompasses essential features such as on-site parking, communal spaces, residential units, unique amenities, retail, dining establishments, pickleball courts, dog park, and a brewery/taproom. Designs were intentionally selected for adaptive reuse of existing structures, new constructions, and site enhancements, thoughtfully interwoven with the site's original landmarks - the Clock Tower, Factory Building, Gatherall (Food Innovation Hub), and Smokestack - creatively blend remnants of the past with an appropriate, unifying aesthetic. The overarching goal is to craft a contemporary environment that coexists within the existing context, characterized by masonry elements, and the immediate residential and industrial surroundings, while preserving the site's cherished historical legacy.