Historic City Mills property sells after half century of Bowers family control

The ownership of arguably the most historically significant Chattahoochee riverfront property in Columbus has changed hands for the first time in nearly a half century.

City Mills Property LLC, whose registered agent is Columbus attorney Ken Henson Jr., recently purchased the old City Mills property on 18th Street, just north of the TSYS campus.

The property and adjoining dam was under the control of the Lloyd G. Bowers III family since 1966. The old grist meal that was producing animal feed ceased to operate in the late 1980s.

Since that time it has sat primarily vacant and fallen into disrepair. Pieces of what was once a 13-acre tract have either been demolished, sold or donated over the years for the whitewater project, riverwalks on both sides of the Chattahoochee and the TSYS campus. The dam and 99 acres of riverbed to the North Highland Dam were sold to Uptown Columbus Inc., in April 2008 for $1.4 million.

After the property was sold piecemeal, what was left were two historic buildings on less than two acres of prime Chattahoochee River real estate. City Mills Property LLC purchased the old six-story flour mill and the five-story warehouse that were both constructed in 1890. There is also a shed off the flour mill that reaches out into the river.

City Mills Properties LLC closed on the purchase May 1, Henson confirmed. Bonnydoon LLLP, which is managed by Charles D. Bowers, one of Lloyd Bowers’ three sons, made two transactions that day involving Henson.

Bonnydoon LLLP sold City Mills to City Mills Properties LLC for $800,000. Bonnydoon LLLP also purchased more than 33 acres off River Road in north Columbus from Graystone LLC, of which Henson also is the registered agent.

The bulk of that land, 30 acres, is in a conservation easement and can’t be developed. It was purchased for $150,000, Henson said.

Charlie Bowers had talked of redeveloping the City Mills site since the 1980s. In a July 1988 Ledger-Enquirer article, Bowers said he was looking for the highest and best use for the property.

He declined comment Monday when he was contacted about the sale.

“I have no comment,” Charlie Bowers said. “There is not anything to talk about.”

There are no firm plans for the property, Henson said.

“Our hope is to save the buildings and put them back to good use,” Henson said. “And we are thankful that Bonnydoon LLLP was willing to sell it so we could try and do something with it.”

City Mills is one of five mill sites included in the Columbus Industrial Riverfront National Landmark District, according to the Historic Columbus Foundation. The property is the last remaining endangered site of the five mills, and it is nationally significant for its hydropower development, milling machinery development and architecture. “City Mills has been on Historic Columbus’ top priority list for the last 15 years,” said Historic Columbus Foundation Executive Director Elizabeth Barker. “Ken Henson has invited Historic Columbus to play a role in the project and that is currently under consideration by our Board of Directors.”

The two remaining buildings are in need of stabilization, Barker said. “The building closest to First Avenue has more structural issues and will require more work,” she said. “Once stabilized, it will be easier for others to see the potential for adaptive reuse and how it can serve as a great anchor for City Village. Historic Columbus is excited about the future for City Mills.”

City Village is a vision being championed by Mayor Teresa Tomlinson and others to redevelop the First Avenue and Second Avenue corridors between downtown and Bibb City.

“It is a tremendous opportunity to revision that area,” Tomlinson said. “Not only is it historically significant, now we have an opportunity to get the right partners at the table with experience in turning distressed properties around. At that point, the sky will be the limit.”

Barker thanked the Bower’s family for their support of community preservation efforts.

“This transaction is certainly another example of that,” Barker said.

This story was originally published May 11, 2015 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Historic City Mills property sells after half century of Bowers family control."