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"What part of an adventure is being the tenth person to do something?"

—John Gronen

History

The first project in the Dubuque Millwork District is the CARADCO Building, now known as the Schmid Innovation Center | CARADCO Lofts. The Carr, Adams, & Collier Company (CARADCO) Main Plant Building is a former millwork factory in what was, at one time, the nation’s largest window and door manufacturing district.

 

The Schmid Innovation Center | CARADCO Lofts fills an entire city block and was built between 1880 and 1906. It’s adjacent to Dubuque’s downtown, walkable, working class neighborhoods. By establishing a vibrant mix of residential, commercial/retail, and non-profit tenants, Schmid Innovation Center | CARADCO Lofts creates the “Sense of Place” that exhibits the qualities of true urbanism — density, diversity, energy, and sociability.

At a Glance 

  • 3 stories plus a lower level

  • Occupies an entire city block

  • 186,000 sq ft

  • 324 windows

  • Manufactured over 30 million doors and 55 million windows

  • CARADCO products were used in our nation's White House, West Point Military Academy, Northwestern University, and the University of Iowa, amonth others

  • In 1966, company officials estimated nearly half of Dubuque’s downtown buildings displayed CARADCO products

  • CARADCO was purchased by Scovill Manufacturing Company in 1968

  • In 1976, Scovill moved window manufacturing production to an Illinois plant

  • Since 1976, the CARADCO building has been used for many things including warehouse storage, office space, and retail space and was home to a millwork business until 2011.

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