Press Apartments, former newspaper headquarters, are now open in downtown Sheboygan

SHEBOYGAN — Apartments at the historic Sheboygan Press building are now available for rent.

The 28-unit Press Apartments , 632 Center Ave., offers luxury apartment living with a historical touch .

Mint green tiled walls, original doors and parts of walls, an old control panel and the press operators’ watch room are some details that show the building’s past days as a news hub.

Rooms and spaces formerly occupied by Press staff, desks and printing press equipment are now apartments, community spaces, a lounge, storage room, fitness center and a golf simulator.

Apartments are outfitted with stainless steel appliances and in-unit washers and dryers. Units on the first floor have white vinyl flooring to resemble concrete of the old Press building, according to Erin Tyrrell, assistant property manager with Harmoniq Residential . Apartments on the second floor have brown vinyl flooring. Parking is also available across three lots around the building. They're adding more spaces, so a total number hasn't been finalized yet.

There are three lofted two-bedroom and two-bathroom units in the former printing press room.

Leasing agent Eli Duero said “one of the main draws” for prospective residents is that the building has historic significance.

“I would say a lot of people just like the fact that it was historic and that it's got character,” he said.

The building, designed by local architect Edward Juul, was built in 1924. It served as the home for the newspaper for nearly 100 years, previously housing print operations and dozens of employees for some time. The building closed in summer 2019.

It was added to the state and national registries for historical places in August and December 2020, respectively.

Related: Former Sheboygan Press staffers recall the moment presses stopped 25 years ago. ‘It was a Good Run,’ the headline read.

28 apartments range from studios to two-bedroom, two-bathrooms

The building has a variety of apartment options: two studios, five one-bedroom and one-bathroom units, six one-bedroom and one-bathroom units with a den, seven two-bedroom and one-bathroom units, eight two-bedroom and two-bathroom units (three of which are lofts).

Tyrrell said every apartment has a unique floor plan. Apartments range in size from around 670 to 1,550 square feet.

Rent rates start at nearly $1,300

Rent prices vary from around $1,295 to $2,695.

Press Apartments could have 'tight-knit' community feel

Tyrrell said The Press Apartments is "more exclusive" compared to the 7Penn Apartments and Tannery Falls Apartments in Sheboygan Falls, which Harmoniq Residential manages, because of its smaller size. The other apartments range from 60 to more than 70 units.

There could be a "really good sense of community" at the Press Apartments, she said. "You pretty much get to know everybody if you're here every single day. To me, it's kind of a small, tight-knit (community). That's what people like, especially in Sheboygan."

Former Sheboygan Press building could've been an office or retail space

Grace Capital Group, former owners of the property, began pursuing redevelopment of the building in 2020 after it took over ownership . The group first imagined an office or retail space and then moved to apartments. They envisioned amenities like bike storage, a dog-washing area and yoga room, according to a Sheboygan Press clip.

Tom and Michael Grace previously told the Sheboygan Press increasing housing options in the downtown area was important to supporting broader redevelopment of that area.

Related: Throwback Thursday: Sheboygan Press building was built in 1924

Cardinal Capital Management eventually took over ownership of the Press building and entered a Tax Incremental Financing agreement with the city at the end of 2022. The city noted in the agreement it was interested in the redevelopment project for several reasons, including historic preservation and the larger plans for that area’s TID.

Housing is still a central concern in Sheboygan in the years since Grace Capital Group bought the former Press building.

Midway findings of a new city housing study indicate Sheboygan will need more housing than previously projected in the 2021 Affordable Housing Market Study. There is a very low vacancy rate for rentals in the area, according to City Administrator Casey Bradley, teetering close to 1%. A healthy rate would be around 5%-10%.

Here’s how you can contact The Press Apartments

The Press Apartments leasing office is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and can be reached at 920-395-3039.

Have a story tip? Contact Alex Garner at 224-374-2332 or agarner@gannett.com . Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @alexx_garner .

This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Press Apartments, former newspaper headquarters, are now open in downtown Sheboygan