Trenton’s shuttered Roebling Wire Works building is getting a new lease on life

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Once a powerhouse of American industry, the Roebling Wire Works factory in Trenton, New Jersey, forged steel cables that suspended the Brooklyn and Golden Gate bridges. But as the nation’s manufacturing might waned, the factory — founded in 1848 — fell silent in 1973.

Today, the capital city has big plans to renovate the facility, which currently houses a skateboard park and a nonprofit circus workshop, thanks to a $7 million grant from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority.

Reed Gusciora, Trenton’s mayor, said half of the money will be used to rehabilitate the landmark edifice, fixing windows and the roof and stabilizing the frame of the building, which is listed on the state and national historic registers.

He said the structure will eventually become Trenton’s civic center.

“For community activities, senior activities, nonprofits can come and have events here, it’s a huge space that can hold a few thousand people at the same time,” Gusciora said.

He said the building will also feature a variety of farmers market shops offering locally made and grown products.

Tim Sullivan, CEO of the NJEDA, said the Roebling property can help revitalize Trenton’s economy.

“It means more people coming downtown, more people spending money, more people going to restaurants, more people wanting to live downtown, it’s a virtuous cycle,” Sullivan said.

He said awarding this kind of grant makes perfect sense.

“The EDA is all about investing in the vitality of New Jersey’s cities, making this a great place to do business, to live, to work, to play, to raise a family, and having more community assets like this, more vitality in our urban centers, is existential to New Jersey’s future,” he said.

Dan Jennings, executive vice president of real estate programs for the NJEDA, said the rehabilitation of the Roebling building sends a positive message.

“It says we can undertake very complicated projects and make them tremendous gathering spaces for residents,” he said. “It brings more optimism to the residents of the city and will help to attract more visitors to the city.”

Gusciora said once the frame of the building is rehabilitated, by the end of next year, a second phase of the project will launch to complete interior work.

He said the remaining $3.5 million in grant money will be used to restore the Eagle Tavern, which has been closed since the 1980s. The building that housed the tavern was originally constructed in 1765. Gusciora said the tavern will hopefully reopen in time to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

“The Eagle Tavern, which predates the revolution, will help us in our effort to attract historic tourism in our capital city,” he said.