Before it became a sleek enclave of modern live/work spaces, the site of the Liquid Sugar Lofts was the beating heart of a booming mid-century food-processing empire. The story began with a family-run business that partnered with Saroni Sugar and Rice in 1962 to form Liquid Sugars Inc. They built a massive modern facility between 65th and 66th streets, capitalizing on an active rail spur to move enormous quantities of liquefied granulated sugar to the flourishing canning industry. Operating around the clock during peak seasons, the plant was a fixture of Emeryville's industrial landscape for decades. But as the new millennium approached, the heavy-industry era faded; the plant shuttered by 2001, ending freight rail service on the historic Ninth Street Drill Track. Rising from its demolished footprint in 2003, the Pulte Group transformed the site into a 55-unit, six-building loft complex. Today the property honors its sweet, utilitarian past not just in name but through award-winning landscaping featuring mounds, perforated steel panels, and concrete planters deliberately shaped like unrefined sugar crystals.
The liquid sugar factory was the very last customer serviced by Emeryville's rail spur. When the plant finally closed in 2001, its departure expedited the official end of service for the Ninth Street Drill Track.
These details come from public records and are approximate while Auguste confirms them. HOA dues, pet rules, and parking change over time, so verify against current HOA documents before writing an offer.
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