GRAFTON, Wis. — An old metal foundry is getting a second life thanks to a husband and wife team of developers.
Joe and Karen Locher are behind the revival of the mid-century Rostad metal foundry on 6th Avenue in Grafton. A year into the project, the foundry is now becoming the Goldfinger Studios, a set of unique commercial condos now available for rent.
The Lochers have already put a lot of work into the space, cleaning up the floors and restoring the building's interior brick walls. A few of the expected 12 studios are already renovated, with more on the way if demand is there.
"[It's] some of our favorite kind of space because it's so dramatic," Joe Locher said. "They're almost like industrial cathedrals."
Watch: This husband and wife team is bringing new life to an old Grafton foundry:
The result of the redevelopment is a funky blend of old industrial equipment with smart, modern furnishings. It's tied together by the building's original midcentury features, like aluminum staircases created at the old foundry.
"We want to honor what Merlin Rostad built here and embrace it because it has energy," Karen Locher said. "You can feel it."
Goldfinger is just one of the latest developments popping up across Ozaukee. As longtime county residents, Joe and Karen say they want to make sure their developments fit into the area's unique character.
"Yeah, you can bring in a new Chick-fil-A or a Home Depot or a big-box retailer or something like that," Joe Locher said. "But what's going to happen to these old gems that were the soul of what built this place?"
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