New owner plans renovations at Watertown apartment building on Factory Street

DP Development and Properties LLC bought the apartment building at 661 Factory Street in Watertown for $290,000. Owner Dan Powell says he plans to renovate the property and hopes the work will encourage additional investment along Factory Street.

Powell plans to begin with the building’s siding and roof and hopes to complete the work before winter. He also said he established rules for the property, including a prohibition on drug use on the premises.

The building was condemned in 2021 after its fire alarm system failed and inspectors found bedbugs, cockroaches, and plumbing and electrical hazards. About 40 tenants were forced to leave. Repairs were later made, and the building reopened.

The property has also been the site of a fatal stabbing. Watertown police said Kristen Parker, 37, was stabbed at an apartment there on Aug. 4, 2026, in what police described as a domestic-violence incident. Robert Taplin, 35, was charged with second-degree murder and is being held without bail. He pleaded not guilty Aug. 18; the case is pending.

Powell has pointed to nearby businesses and the vacant Black River Paper Company building as examples of the kind of investment he hopes to see on Factory Street. Watertown Mayor Sarah Pierce has said she hopes the project leads to continued investment in the area.

The building’s tenants, nearby residents, businesses and Jefferson County Department of Social Services are among those connected to the property. The department has relied heavily on the building for housing placements. Powell’s renovation plans and the pending murder case are the next major developments tied to 661 Factory Street.