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Design - Best Historic Rehabilitation Project
An Award of Merit is presented to: Nick and Susanne Sanders, Stocks & Taylor Construction, Washington Harbor District Alliance, and the City of Washington for The Hackney.
The Hackney in downtown Washington is a standout renovation project that transformed the 1922 former Bank of Washington building into a destination restaurant, distillery, and forthcoming boutique hotel. The restaurant opened in January 2019, the distillery launched in December 2019, and the boutique hotel is set to open in 2021. Working closely with the State Historic Preservation Office, the North Carolina Main Street and Rural Planning Center, and the City of Washington, owners Nick and Susanne Sanders rehabilitated the building while honoring its historic character. Local contractors and interior designers worked closely with the owners to meet their vision. Interior marble features and wooden floors were preserved, the original interior balcony was exposed, and 75 original windows were restored.
As a destination establishment, the Hackney has lured additional visitors and customers to downtown Washington and its businesses. The community also looks forward to the forthcoming third phase of the rehabilitation, an upper level boutique hotel, which will provide much-needed, high-quality, downtown accommodations in the future. The Hackney also served a pressing public need during the COVID-19 pandemic when the distillery transitioned to producing hand sanitizer for first responders, local businesses, and residents.
This $1.2 million rehabilitation project was awarded a $200,000 Main Street Solutions Fund grant for construction and to spur economic investment in downtown Washington. The Hackney’s owners also used federal and state tax credits to finance the development in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation. The project leveraged more than $890,000 in private investment in the first phase of development, with such investment into downtown Washington continuing to grow with each new project phase. Thus far, the Hackney has created more than 21 new jobs and has stimulated multiple other investments in the downtown district.