Bailey Power Plant

Bailey Power Plant is a substantial adaptive-reuse mixed-use destination at the heart of Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter — a preserved 1947 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company coal-fired power plant that reopened on February 8, 2018, as a restaurant, coffee, brewery, fitness, tech startup, and creative studio destination anchored by the beloved Coal Pit outdoor courtyard.

The Bailey Power Plant is one of the most iconic visual symbols of Winston-Salem’s preserved industrial heritage. Its two 14-story smokestacks have anchored the downtown skyline for decades, and the building’s restoration genuinely honors that industrial past — with preserved blue stenciled camels (a direct nod to Winston-Salem’s Camel City nickname and RJR’s legendary Camel cigarette brand), preserved distressed concrete structures, and blue-and-yellow accents referencing the original industrial color scheme. Modern additions, including a contemporary glass and metal façade and a north-facing rooftop extension, complete the adaptive-reuse design, which is slated to receive LEED Silver sustainability certification.

Be sure to check out the pictures below to get a feel for Bailey Power Plant before you go — or to relive the visit after.

The 1947 R.J. Reynolds Coal-Fired Power Plant Origin

The Bailey Power Plant was originally constructed in 1947 to provide steam and electricity to the surrounding R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company manufacturing complex. During its active decades, the plant powered one of America’s largest tobacco manufacturers, which produced Camel cigarettes and other RJR brand products — making the Bailey Power Plant a genuine piece of Winston-Salem’s Camel City industrial heritage.

When R.J. Reynolds moved its manufacturing operations to Tobaccoville in the 1980s, the downtown Winston-Salem factory grounds gradually fell into disuse — and the Bailey Power Plant sat dormant for nearly 20 years before the broader Innovation Quarter transformation created the demand for its adaptive-reuse restoration.

The plant’s two 14-story smokestacks never came down during that dormant period — remaining anchored to the downtown skyline as visible reminders of Winston-Salem’s tobacco manufacturing past. Today, those preserved smokestacks are among the most photographed elements of the Winston-Salem skyline and provide the framed background view visible from the adjacent Bailey Park grassy lawn.

The 2018 Adaptive-Reuse Revitalization — Preserved Camels and LEED Silver

The Bailey Power Plant’s revitalization opened to the public on February 8, 2018 as a comprehensive adaptive-reuse project that intentionally honored the building’s industrial heritage while adapting the space for modern mixed-use programming. The core-and-shell design preserved substantive original elements, including:

• Preserved blue stenciled camels — genuinely wonderful nods to Winston-Salem’s Camel City nickname and RJR’s Camel cigarette brand, kept intact from the plant’s original industrial signage
• Distressed concrete structures — preserved throughout the interior
• Blue and yellow accents — referencing the original RJR industrial color scheme
• The 14-story smokestacks — anchored as visible skyline elements

Modern architectural additions include a contemporary glass-and-metal façade and a north-facing rooftop extension — creating a genuinely intentional design tension between the preserved industrial past and a modern innovation-district future. The Bailey Power Plant is slated to receive LEED Silver sustainability certification — bringing the building full circle from a coal-fired power plant to a modern, resource-saving icon of adaptive reuse sustainability.

A $24 million adjacent expansion called Bailey South — a six-story, 75,000 square foot mixed-use building — opened in 2022 at the corner of 4th Street and Patterson Avenue. Bailey South added additional restaurant tenants and connected the Bailey Power Plant to the “Krankies block” to the south, extending the transformation of Patterson Avenue between Third and Fifth Streets into a substantial dining and community destination corridor.

The Coal Pit — Restaurants, Coffee, Brewery, and Concerts

The Bailey Power Plant’s most distinctive outdoor feature is The Coal Pit — a vast concrete-lined courtyard shared by the restaurants and businesses occupying the building. Originally the space where coal was fed into the power plant, the Coal Pit has been converted into a substantial outdoor gathering and dining space that functions as the center of the Bailey Power Plant’s community programming.

The Coal Pit hosts live concerts throughout the year — including performances by the Piedmont Wind Symphony and other regional musical acts. The courtyard’s industrial-era architecture provides a genuinely distinctive backdrop for outdoor musical programming, unlike that of typical Winston-Salem concert venues.

The Bailey Power Plant’s tenant mix is substantially food-and-beverage-focused. Current tenants include:

• Restaurants: Six Hundred ° (pronounced “Six Hundred Degrees”), Cugino Forno (Neapolitan-style pizza), Black Mountain Chocolate Bar, plus Barcelona Burger and Beer Garden, and Alma Mexicana in the adjacent Bailey South complex
• Coffee: DeBeen Espresso — offering one of Forsyth County’s largest selections of locally roasted flavored coffee beans
• Brewery: Incendiary Brewery — adjacent to the Coal Pit
• Fitness: F45 Training studio
• Creative and tech: Variable (creative agency, approximately 103 workers) plus additional tech startups and creative studios

That combination of restaurants + coffee + brewery + fitness + creative agencies + tech gives Bailey Power Plant genuine mixed-use programming depth that anchors the Innovation Quarter as a community destination beyond just the biomedical research and office space.

Good to Know

• Location: 486 North Patterson Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
• Originally constructed: 1947 (coal-fired power plant for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company)
• Dormant period: Approximately 20 years (1980s through mid-2010s)
• Reopened: February 8, 2018 (as adaptive-reuse mixed-use destination)
• Adjacent expansion: Bailey South — $24 million, six-story, 75,000 square foot mixed-use building opened in 2022 at the corner of 4th Street and Patterson Avenue
• Sustainability: Slated to receive LEED Silver certification
• Location context: In the Innovation Quarter mixed-use district, adjacent to Bailey Park
• Preserved historical features:
• Two 14-story smokestacks (anchoring the Winston-Salem downtown skyline)
• Blue stenciled camels (references to Winston-Salem’s Camel City nickname and RJR’s Camel cigarette brand)
• Distressed concrete structures
• Blue and yellow accents referencing the original RJR industrial color scheme
• Modern architectural additions: Contemporary glass and metal façade; north-facing rooftop extension
• The Coal Pit: Vast concrete-lined courtyard originally where coal was fed into the power plant; now a shared outdoor gathering and dining space with live concert programming (including Piedmont Wind Symphony performances)
• Restaurant tenants: Six Hundred °, Cugino Forno (Neapolitan pizza), Black Mountain Chocolate Bar, Barcelona Burger and Beer Garden, and Alma Mexicana in the adjacent Bailey South complex
• Coffee: DeBeen Espresso (one of Forsyth County’s largest selections of locally roasted flavored coffee beans)
• Brewery: Incendiary Brewery (adjacent to the Coal Pit)
• Fitness: F45 Training studio
• Creative and tech tenants: Variable (creative agency); additional tech startups and creative studios
• Admission: Free (public building access; individual tenant pricing varies)
• Hours: Individual tenant hours vary. Check the Innovation Quarter Bailey Power Plant website for current tenant listings and event schedules.
• Best for: Restaurant and dining enthusiasts, craft beer fans (Incendiary Brewery), coffee enthusiasts (DeBeen Espresso), live music fans (concerts at the Coal Pit, including Piedmont Wind Symphony), adaptive-reuse architecture enthusiasts, RJR tobacco history enthusiasts, and visitors exploring the Innovation Quarter’s mixed-use district
• Pair with: The full Winston-Salem attractions cluster; a natural Innovation Quarter walking pattern combining Bailey Power Plant with the adjacent Bailey Park green space; a Downtown Arts District walking pattern combining Bailey Power Plant with Artivity on the Green; or Winston-Salem’s flagship museums including the Reynolda House Museum of American Art, Old Salem Museums & Gardens, and the NC Museum of Art – Winston-Salem

A Winston-Salem Highlight

Bailey Power Plant is the kind of stop that stays with you for the sheer completeness of the adaptive-reuse vision. Between the 1947 R.J. Reynolds Tobacco coal-fired power plant origin, the ~20 years of dormancy before restoration, the February 8, 2018, reopening, and the preserved blue stenciled camels that connect the building directly to Winston-Salem’s Camel City heritage, Bailey Power Plant represents one of the most substantive adaptive-reuse projects anywhere in NC.

The Coal Pit and tenant mix round out the appeal. Between the vast concrete-lined outdoor courtyard, the year-round live concert programming (including Piedmont Wind Symphony performances), the mixed-use tenants combining Six Hundred °, Cugino Forno, Black Mountain Chocolate Bar, DeBeen Espresso, Incendiary Brewery, F45 Training, and Variable creative agency, Bailey Power Plant operates as a genuine multi-purpose destination rather than a single-focus attraction.

Combined with the two 14-story smokestacks anchoring the Winston-Salem downtown skyline, the LEED Silver sustainability credential, the adjacent 2022 Bailey South expansion connecting to the “Krankies block,” and the walking-distance proximity to Bailey Park and Artivity on the Green, Bailey Power Plant has become one of the most consistently rewarding adaptive-reuse destinations anywhere in the greater Forsyth County / Piedmont Triad region — and a genuine anchor of Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter identity.

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Resources

Innovation Quarter Website

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Location

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