Site Moved: 308westmain.com

If you have been reading along.....I thank you.

I've moved the site off blogger and onto my own website. You can access it by going to www.308westmain.com and selecting "thebarryblog" at the top. Or you can go straight to www.308westmain.com/thebarryblog

Thanks for your support and encouragement these last 18 months.

The Master Bath Takes Shape

The stone was also delivered for the Master Bath.

The floor of the shower is a single piece of Cosmic Black Wave. The same material is on the bath countertop and goes up the wall on either side of what will be a mirror. The stone rocks! What you can't see is that it has texture. Instead of being smooth it has some waviness. I like it more than I thought I would. Now a back-story....

I got a call a couple of weeks ago that the stone I had chosen was not available. They had stone, but it wasn't in sizes to allow installation without seams. It could be found, but would put the time-line to completion in jeopardy. But I loved the stone chosen, it was called "Black Wave". So, Jeff Troch as Design Surfaces says they have a similar stone in stock called "Cosmic Black Wave". I could come out and see it to decide if it would work. Well, scrambling around between work meetings, 2 trips to Raleigh, and the above is the result. I think I might like this stone better. But, it's one of those decisions that without each piece side-by-side, I don't have a clue.

Kitchen Countertops

This is ridiculous! Really! The countertop in the kitchen make a HUGE island. The counter is normal depth, but the slab on top hangs over by 24". Notice the perspective size of the sink. It appears small but it is not. The sink is approximately 40" long.

My kitchen is the coolest kitchen......

Backsplash and Cabinets

Things are moving fast. I'll try to catch you up on the progress......

Here David is standing in front of the kitchen cabinets. Above are spaces that open up. I'll need a stool to get to them; they'll be useful for seldom used kitchen items. On the right is the "pantry" where I'll keep some food and dishes. I don't have cabinets like most homes with places for plates, cups, bowl and etc. Since when am I a traditional person?

Rich in the middle, being held up with boards is the back splash. One giant piece of metal. Weathered. Finished. Just metal. I'll call it the "Conrad Reyes Feature".

Plaster repair begins

I lost. I had hoped to keep the walls with partial plaster in places where it had come off. I thought the look of plaster exposing brick was cool.

Not according to State Preservation. Walls where plaster is largely in tack needs repairing to "original look". Places where the plaster had completely been stripped from the brick can remain.

So, here you see the plaster guy repairing the northwest corner, and you see a brick wall that can stay just as it is. A coat of brick glaze will be applied to prevent brick dust. I suppose that in time I won't remember partial walls....but this is a sad day.

Kitchen Cabinets

The kitchen cabinets are taking shape. Here is the installation to-date. The color and shape are becoming evident.

Along the bottom are drawers for pots and pans. Above is storage for seldom used appliances. The opening on the right will be a large pantry. The middle will be the cooktop and hood. Under the tarp on the left is an opening similar to the pantry, but which will frame the refrigerator.

In the background, folks are stripping the old plaster in preparation for a new coat. More on that soon.....

Painting has begun

The ceilings were painted this week. White. The ceilings were painted to allow installation of lights (scheduled for this week).

This photo is a good view of the ceilings. You can no longer see individual pieces of drywall or drywall mud. Now the ceiling looks smooth across the entire space as if it's been there forever. Notice the holes, those will be where the lights are installed over the counters and island.

And she's buying a stairway......

I'm on the 3rd floor with my back to Main Street. The stairs lead up to the roof deck (notice the light on the wall at the top of photo).

I like the stairs more everyday. And I've always liked them so that's saying a bunch. The risers are a steel beam and the treads are wood. These treads are temporary; the permanent treads are made of reclaimed wood from floor and ceiling joist.

Notice a couple of details that I hope the Historic folks let me keep. The bricked in door behind the stairs used to lead to the building next door. I love it. It was bricked in with less than perfect masonry work, giving it a very authentic look. I hope I can leave it as it is. The other detail is the writing on the wall that you can just see at the top right hand corner of the photo (black and white block lettering). This is advertisement of W. R. Murray and Sons music store that was in the building next door that I wrote of the "murder mystery". I definitely don't want to cover that up.

Outlook: Showers Expected

The master bath and shower begin to take shape. A few weeks ago I showed the massive skylight going in above the shower. Now that the walls are going in you can get the whole view.

The framing at the top defines the entire bathroom space, with the framing at the bottom showing where the shower will be. On the left wall will be bathroom cabinets/mirror/sinks/lights. The doorway in the middle will be to the toilet (left as you walk in) and linen closet (right as you walk in).

On the wall in the shower space you see some plumbing rough-ins. The top one will be a shower head, and the 2 below will be controls for the shower heads; one for the "normal" shower head and the other for the rain head.

The walls around the shower will be glass. I think. We're still negotiating with vendors on price and as you know, this may change the design.

For what it is worth: this week the Triangle has seen 4"+ of rain and winds gusting to near 40 mph because of Tropical Storm Ida. I would not be using the rain head this week.....

They sing: I'm on Top of the World

The rooftop deck is finished (mostly). Here is the view you get when stepping out onto the deck near sunset.

Excellent!

The decking is wood (not composite that was scheduled but changed for cost reduction). The rails are 1/4" x 1.5" iron; with steel cables strung horizontal and capped by a handrail that is made of stainless steel. Iron gates are made of the same material. The effect is perfect; you feel secure but look through the railing as if it isn't there.

The other view is looking back at the structure that now pops up off the original roof. The walls are concrete board painted gray. The roof of the structure is galvanized aluminum, with an aluminum gutter that feeds a rain-barrel.

The windows let sunlight in; sort of acting like a functional skylight feeding both living floors. A slight overhang will provide some shade from the midday sun. But, in late afternoon it washes the walls with an orange glow. Awesome!

You get a better look at the rails and gate from this view. Again, notice that you see them when you look at them but they go away when you're looking at something else.

More singing "....looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find....".

More Storefront: Comparison to Last Year

Yesterday I referenced the construction look. Today, we're going into the WayBack Machine to the time in July of 2008 when the building was purchased.........

On July 13 of 2008, I compared the then storefront as "a face only a parent could love". I didn't love it so it received a makeover. Click the link above to see the comparison photo and then tell me what you think.

All the windows have been replaced. They look original, but are double paned and swing in for maintenance and cleaning ease. The oval windows above were repaired but not replaced. The glass remains in each of those panes.

The street-level front is all new. Instead of an overhang, there is now windows out to the sidewalk. Doors were placed on each side of the central window (commercial door on the left, residential on the right). The doors were set back to meet code and to not impede pedestrian traffic. A steel beam spans the length, with 2 others for vertical support.

I especially like that the lines of the building now are contiguous from ground to roof. It gives an appearance that there may be vertical supports rising 40' up. Nice work to the folks at Center Studio.

Welcome to 308westmain street

I loved the artist storefront, but it got old. And made a lasting impression. Let's hope the "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" isn't true in Durham.

Let's start anew. Durham, this is the new storefront to welcome folks to 308 West Main Street in downtown. We've added much glass to bring the outdoors in, and the indoors out. Window seating or ample visibility for your retail merchandise.

The entrance is tucked neatly off to the side to allow visitors a chance to gather themselves before entering and exiting.

From indoors a large window was installed to provide a view looking west down main street toward Five Points.

This milestone makes me smile. I hope you enjoy and come by for a visit.

Skylight, Sky Bright

Here's a view of the skylight above the master shower. That is the skylight, not just a hole. The skylight is clear so the clouds, or voyeurs, can be seen plainly.

The pipe will one day accommodate the rain head. On a cloudy day you can shower in the rain.......

Blue Tarp = Rooftop Structure

(you might click the photo to enlarge)

Ok, the rooftop structure is taking shape. Framing is complete and Tyvek is wrapped around it. The photo was taken last weekend when rain was expected, so the structure was covered by a big blue tarp.

Of things fire and contractural

Remember that feeling of having an eyelash in your eye? You know, so painful you can't keep your eyes open to get it out.....crying, excruciating pain? Then, you get the lash out and look at it on the end of your finger and wonder how such a small thing could have caused so much discomfort?

That is what contract issues are like during construction.

For 2 months I've been selecting fire/security vendors.....listening to experts.

• "You need a commercial system."
  
• "No, you only need a residential system since you are living in the space."
• "You need a hybrid - commercial on the first floor, residential on the remaining."

They talk to other experts. They talk to me (moron). They provide estimates. Then, just when I'm about to make a decision and get over the hurdle, the lash moves to the other part of my eye causing me to wince and start the whole process all over.

And, I have a contract where security and fire equipment are documented. The contract is signed and payment agreed upon. Why the heck don't I just say, "you know, I thought I could solve this problem but I can't. You guys install the system you priced in the contract and I'll be happy."

The next time I'll say that.......real early. So early I'm already saying it. Don't come at me with more decisions that appear as they should have been made before we ever signed a contract!

Yeah right! I'll get a full more lashes in my eyes before this one is over.

Rooftop Construction

Work, life and building decisions are getting in the way of progress documentation. Oh, and taxes. This has been an extremely challenging year of administration related to taxes owed to the US and Canadian government. Alas, these are not related to Downtown living so I'll keep those stories for my All Things Inevitable blog......

Construction started last week on the rooftop structure and deck. Here are the beginnings of that work; the metal framing that will support it all. Notice the natural slope of the roof. We intend to maintain that by suspending the deck structure above the roof, allowing water to run freely below. Suspending the decking will also keep weight off the roof framing and allow for a level walking surface.

Here is a view from down the street; an area called Five Points. The big blue tarp is the rooftop structure you see framed above. I have one of the best views of the Hill Building (the building with the flag) because my roof is 40' above views from the street. Much more to follow on the rooftop as construction continues.

Holes in Roof = Rain on Floors

You ever notice that when you cut holes in your roof, the rain hits your floors?

Of course not. You're not stupid enough to cut holes in your roof. And if you did, you'd have a plan to repair it straight away.

Not me. My plan was to cut a hole in the roof and then figure out how to build a structure on the hole to keep the rain out. But it takes time to figure it out. And there are approvals to be had. And materials to hoist onto the roof. And temporary structures to build in failed attempts to keep tarp down. But rain water fills up tarp, forcing it to sink into the hole and let the water in.

The project is going well despite some hurdles.......

I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin' down on a sunny day?

Hollow Metal Doors

The rear entrances are also nearly complete. The hollow metal doors were installed, as were the frames for the transoms above. The opening you see on the right was also delivered, but it didn't fit and needs to be re-manufactured.

Windows in the Rear

Now the drama is happening. Windows (and doors) were also installed in the back of the building. These make a huge visual upgrade. Perhaps it is because you stand closer to the building when in the back....but the effect is real. I love it.

Windows in the Front

I came home early to catch up on some building stuff including letting you see what has been happening. It occurs to me now that so much is happening, I can't really catch you up. But I'll try......

The windows were installed this week. I was looking at old photos, and I'm not sure the windows make as dramatic an impact as I had imagined. At least not from far away. I had imagined an immediate "oh, wow! Look at those nice new windows!" kind of reaction. But not so much.

However, there are some benefits that you might not see in the photo:

• There are panes in each frame. Sounds like that would be consistent with before but some of the windows were broken out. This is the first the building has had fully glassed windows.
• The panes are double glass giving extra insulation
• The hardware makes cleaning the windows simpler and more efficient to use
• They haven't yet been finished or painted

So maybe the dramatic appeal will happen. I'm still excited.

Oh, and ask Keith Freeman to tell you about "trying". He'll give you a good story about Bear Bryant.....

Two floors become one

I really like this shot because it shows the relationship between both floors. On this floor is the closet on the left, bathroom/shower behind that and then utility closet on the right with the stairwell coming up to it.

In front of me is the loft opening to the second floor. I love the way you can see the entire space.

The windows are set to come in this week, as are the stairs up to the roof. Following that will be the roof-structure which will finally dry the place in. Southern thunderstorms drive me crazy knowing the rain is soaking my new (old) floors.

Flooring material and 3rd Floor Design

(click photos to enlarge)

The framing is complete and the flooring has been laid. The stairs are nearly complete.

This is an excellent shot of the 3rd floor. The opening nearest me will be the stairwell up and down. The framing on the left is for the closet (big). Just behind that where you see framing on the floor is the shower (big). The framing on the right will be a utility closet.

Can't wait to see the stairs.

Framing: The Design Takes Shape

David's framing work is moving along. It's excellent. It's exciting.

I'm standing here on the second floor near where the bathroom will be looking toward the front of the building. Above you see the suspended hallway; the stairwell up will be to the left of this photo, and the open loft cutout to the right.

The framing header that is going across the photo is a steel I beam with wood in the middle to frame against. The beam is attached to the walls with anchors that are bolted in.

The woodpile to the right is material to be reused.

Below is another view but now from the 3rd floor (same back wall but now opposite corner). Here David is walking across the hallway; stairs will be to his left. Stairs up to this floor is the opening below his feet. Notice above, a framing structure where he is beginning to frame the opening to the rooftop. I think it's gonna be real cool having stairs stacked. The view from the top clear to the bottom will be very excellent.

Note, the new floor joist you see were required because the old stairwell used to come up here. So, the need to frame that opening, and non-code framing from before required completely new framing to go in. Every other joist will have another attached to it making the floors more rigid.

The New Train Station

Visiting the new train station makes me:

1. even more excited for Durham's potential and
2. wanting to ride and encourage transportation by rail

The place is beautiful. The train pulls up under a metal awning, with awning escorting you to the door of the station. At the door is signage welcoming you to Durham. The outdoor signage is plain in an old school, yet new kind of font. Very simple. Very cool. Inside (photo) the place is awesome in the same juxtapositional (sp?) way. The place seems like it could have been there for 100 years, yet you are certain it's new.

Old photos hang on the back wall showing Durham architectural, train and cultural history. Simple signage shows the Amtrak route and fare options. Benches beg for you to read the paper while donning hat and trench coat.

Thanks, Durham. Thanks, Amtrak. All aboard for a day in Charlotte.

Framing: 3rd Floor Loft has begun

Framing is underway on all floors. Here is a view from the second floor rear, looking toward the front.

The large opening is the span width for

1. 1) my open loft which will be from approximately the metal "bridge" you see across the middle over to the right wall and
2. 2) stairs from this floor up to the 3rd. These will be on the left hand side (as you are viewing here).

1. More photos of this to come. Here I'm standing on a ladder 16' up from the ground floor. I feel fortunate to have snapped this photo successfully......
   

Eno Festival Weekend

Is it graffiti when you write "Hi Mom" on the sidewalk in chalk?

The weekend weather was perfect for the Eno Festival. 4 stages with bands playing rock, country, blues, and bluegrass. There were dozens of artist displaying their wares: pottery, painting, photography, metal sculptures and the like.



Kim and I rode bicycles up to the Eno, which made even the journey fun. Only 2 sketchy points in the trip; one crossing Duke Street and the other Roxboro Road. I've written to organizers asking them to consider posting their suggested bike route next year.

Kim is standing in front of a bike some person fashioned into a camel.


Here's the real reason for the Eno Festival. Entrance fees go to preserving and purchasing land in the Eno River basin. Here is a man-made dam with tree trunks used to climb and dive from.

Great fun.

New Term: LVL - Laminated Veneer Lumber

Last week the LVL's went into the first floor ceiling/second floor flooring.

LVL's are 6" thick products of laminated wood that spans the entire width of the building. They are heavy, approximately 400 lbs each, and are bolted to the walls on either side.

These new framing items will provide 1) support to existing framing and 2) material to support new structural material. In this photo, these 2 LVL's (light colored wood) will frame out the opening of the elevator shaft on the right hand side.

It was interesting watching how they were put in place. Metal forms were bolted to them while on the ground. Then, from above, they were hoisted up using eye bolts by a winch that was on the second floor with the wire material going through holes drilled in the floor. Because they expand the entire width, there was little clearance side-to-side. So, these were hoisted level otherwise they would wedge between the walls.

Similar framing material will be used on each of the next 2 floors.

An opening where there was none before

The sidewall was opened today, with views down Main Street and onto the "court yard" next to the building. Beautiful! The opening is 9' tall and 4' wide.

This opening makes the space MUCH more appealing to potential tenants. Plus, light access from another direction makes the space look larger.

This photo shows the unfinished opening. On the left of the photo is the storefront framing for the door entrance off Main Street.


Here's a pre-restoration view from the exterior. The shrub on the left is the same as seen from the interior photo above.

Um, your backend is open

Compare this photo to the one I wrote about during "Easement" last July. The original openings are being punched back out and will be filled with new windows and doors.

On the far left, will be the door to my upstairs unit. The existing door in the middle will be moved over about 8" to align with the window opening that you see here above it. The opening on the right, where there are workers, will be a window into the downstairs space.

Amazingly, the brick openings (my walls) are 16" thick. Buildings are built like this today. The exterior facade might be brick, but the interior would be wood, steel or cinder block. 16" of solid brick just look weird. However, I think it will make the window sills and door openings look VERY cool.

All good surprises.

A View from Bull McCabe's

Nothing much to write except this is a view of my building from my local pub, Bull McCabe's. Click the photo to enlarge it and scroll to the bottom. There you'll see the top of my building behind & beside the green and white street sign.

Now, scroll back up and look at the sky. All this madness and concern are lost when we have days like this in Durham.

Let There Be Light......There was Light

My new favorite day was today........

Demolition officially happened about a year ago. But, back then we didn't remove the stairs from the first floor because, well, there'd have been no way to get up to the second floor. Two major events happened today:

1. The stairs were removed and
2. Windows that had been bricked up were reopened

So there's a temporary problem created now. You can't get to the upper floors unless you use a REALLY TALL ladder (there's 16' between floors so the ladder needs to be at least 20'; and even then I wouldn't want to climb it). This problem will be remedied when the new stairs are framed in.

The stairs were removed to make room for the brick masons. In the picture you can see them working, repairing the brick in the openings they created. It's amazing how much light gets in. And it's amazing looking at the wide open spaces. And the hyrogliphics/sayings that were written on the walls in places just now being seen again......some of that isn't printable on my family blog.

Oh, click on the photo to enlarge it and then look at the ceiling joists near the back of the building. Notice how many of them have been cut away over the years? That's not supposed to have been done. Floor/Ceiling joists should span the entire structure to support weight and prevent sagging. Wonder even more how there wasn't a major disaster in the building???!!!

Much progress today. It is my new favorite day.

And even more Storefront

OK. You must be tired of posts about the storefront. "When are you going to talk about some other bit of work, Barry?" I get it. I've heard you and here's your answer......"soon".

But for now it's more storefront. 7 weeks ago I wrote of work underway that would complete the storefront, produce new window openings and material and frame stairwells and access to the residential space. A project scheduled for 8 weeks has us still largely on storefront construction. But a cool storefront it will be. Here you see the steel framing that the actual storefront will be built to. I love the scale and view and get excited everyday at the changes.

The Festival for the Eno

The Festival for the Eno happens again on July 4th weekend. Kimberly and I went to the Eno park over the weekend and noticed a new trail and bridge to nowhere.

Well, it probably goes somewhere we just don't know where. Loving the idea that there's a new pedestrian/bike trail. I can feel an exploratory ride in the near future.

A Great Place to Live: US News and Durham Palooza

Durham's growth as a viable, sustainable city is upon us. Evidence is all around:

The week, US News and World Report ranked the 10 Best Places to Live in America. Durham made the list. Now, they appear on the list 5th but that's because the list was alphabetical. Maybe Durham is REALLY their choice for the best place to live???

Also, last weekend a group of musicians organized "Durham Palooza" where they assembled in the concrete park across the street from where I live and just played music. Banjos, mandolins, juice harps and accordions played past sunset making it clear that Durham has arrived.

OK, tongue-in-cheek doesn't write so well. This isn't evidence at all. But I don't need evidence.......Durham is becoming a GREAT place to live and I know it.

More Storefront

The storefront remained the theme of work this week.

More concrete was poured as a footer because the original footer was about 4 feet too short. Now the wall for my entrance stairs can be framed out and structural members anchored.

In the photo, David and Brian "Merg" are attaching the storefront cross-beam that will be used to affix the storefront material. This created some minor challenges. One, brick was removed to anchor the beam into the supporting walls. How do you match 100 year old brick during replacement? Two, now walls that were interior will be exterior in the entrance ways. How do I finish the surface to make it appropriate for exterior exposure while astetically tying into the interior wall surfaces?

More on these later.

Storefront Entrances

The concrete slab was poured and fixed that makes the storefront entrance ways. Here in the photo you can see the "floor" of the building on the left, and the brick sidewalk on the right. Closest to you on the left will be the commercial space entrance. The 2" raised portion in the middle of the photo will be the actual floor level for the commercial space. Farthest in the photo and not very visible is the entrance to my space.

We met with window and storefront fabricators yesterday. Progress on those fronts should happen soon.

Support Columns

Two steel columns were put in place to support the support the steel header beam that frames the storefront.

The bit of work is interesting from an engineering perspective. One, the header beam was sagging a bit but not so much that it required repair. This is fortunate because that would have been a big, unplanned job. Also, we got to see how the header beam was being torqued by the "old storefront" that was hanging from this beam. The front of the beam was being twisted down from the weight of that overhang. Reinforcing this beam was necessary. I like our solution.

I also like this work because light is getting in again. I like light. The construction barrier made me forget how the space looked when it was open to Main Street. An open street view is what this building needs, don't you think?

Springsteen vs. The Kentucky Derby

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes, you mind find
You get what you need - Rolling Stones

So, Spot and I are online about 2 months ago trying to get Bruce Springsteen tickets when they go on sale. Spot can get one at a time; I can't get any. Spot gets 3 and we quit. Perhaps my not getting tickets is an omen: the Springsteen show is on the same day as the Kentucky Derby. I can't miss my favorite event of the year with the Freeman's and the opportunity to catch up with friends. Seeing folks happens WAY too seldom now-a-days.

I rationalize; I can go to the Derby Party during the day, leave early, and catch the Springsteen show in Greensboro that night. But then Mark, Spot and I decide to try the "lottery" for the Springsteen show. We need to be in Greensboro before 5:00pm. No Derby party.

So we arrive in Greensboro about 4:15, drive around the Coliseum and find a sweet parking space on a side street. There is a guy sitting in the front seat of the SUV parked behind us talking on the phone. He gets off the phone and tells us his kids are trying for the lottery as well. They've been here camping out for a while, he's here to pick them up in case they don't get in. We get excited and head to the Coliseum.

We go right up and get a numbered armband. It is 5:00.....the drawing is taking place in 15 minutes. We find our place in line. Our armbands are numbered 1263, 1264 and 1265. 1200+ have gotten here before us and been waiting. Should we have stayed in the Triangle and gone to the party?

A guy on a bullhorn announces how this will work: a number will be drawn from a hat, that person will be first in line, we'll take the next 450 persons behind that persons number. Very efficient and fair. Still, we've got less than a 33% chance of being within the proper "grouping".

And then the announcement....the number is 11xx. I can't even think! We're going to get to the front of a Springsteen show. "I'm Courtney Cox in the Dancing in the Dark video!!!!" (note: wow......this video is from 1984! Have I changed this much in 25 years?)

The show was AWESOME. Springsteen still performs with the passion that makes his shows epic events. I hope I have half his energy and good looks when I'm 61. The E-Street Band is showing signs of age but not sounding any older. Clarence is something like 71 and showing it. Bruce would help him to his place on stage and during encores Clarence did not leave (he sat in a chair). Max Weinberg's son played drums during most of the show. He was excellent and it was fun to watch the relationship between the young Weinberg and Springsteen. It must be weird to have known this boy when he was born and now have him keep time for your band.

3 hours later my ears are ringing. I've been on cloud-nine for this entire week. I hate that the show happened on Derby Day but..........you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes......

(the Steensboro May 2nd setlist)

Cheers.

Storefront, Concrete & Redesign

Storefront: note that the plywood mural that has been the storefront for 6 months has changed. Construction is underway and the "storefront" has been moved out onto the sidewalk to accommodate the changes. Footings have been poured to allow for 2 columns to be added to support the sagging steel structural beam that you see at the top of the photo. The beam has sagged a bit over the last 100 years and columns are necessary to prevent further damage. Fortunately, the deflection has not been so much as to require replacement of the beam.

Concrete: inside, concrete is being poured to make the new storefront floor. Pouring is happening in 3 phases: footings, general floor material and then the pour that will be feathered out to create my new entrance ways. It's fun to watch the storefront take shape from the ground up. Hmph, sounds cliche'.

Redesign: unfortunately, the requirements of the Federal folks are creating churn in our overall plan. My third floor layout looks to be my biggest risk as the National Parks people think the "catwalk" is not acceptable. Scott and Tom are investigating ways to redesign that allows me to have a loft type floorplan but still meet government requirements.

I was warned that working toward Historic Tax Credits would be challenging. Leave money on the table or build the residence the way I want. Have a coin? I call heads.

Federal Approval: Sort of

Phase II of the Department of Interiors assessment of my building plans came back today. Obviously, getting it back is a HUGE amount of good news. We now know something. However, it was not necessarily good news. Here are a couple of areas we need to address (paraphrased):

1. Replacement Storefront: must be compatible with the appearance, size, design, proportions and profiles of a traditional historic storefront........Photos of completed work must be submitted.
2. Replacement windows must match the appearance, size, design, proportions and profiles of the existing. Comparable detailed drawings of existing and proposed must be submitted and approved by SHPO and National Park Services before proceeding.
3. Proposed rooftop addition must not significantly impact the historic roofline of the building. Construction of a mock-up and photographs of mock-up from "each surrounding right-of-way and keyed to the historic district map must be reviewed and approved".
4. Retaining historic plaster walls in a deteriorated condition does not meet the Standards and must be repaired. Photographs of the completed work must be submitted.
5. The proposed two-story space within the upper level apartment must be reduced in size. A preferable alternative was proposed. New plans must be submitted.
6. New mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems must be installed in a manner consistent with the historic character of the building. Ductwork must be set back from storefront and painted. Photographs of completed work must be submitted.

If you can read between the lines and know me well, then you'll know some of this is disappointing to me. However, you'll also know that my optimism will change my outlook in about a minute. (tick, tock, tick, tock)

There, that is better. What is all the fuss about?

So here is some good news

Work has begun. Holes are everywhere in the floor and ground. And I got this as an email from Tom @ Center Studio:

.....Also, I was able to reach someone at the National Park Service regarding the status of Part 2 of the Tax Credit Application and they said they had misplaced a drawing and that had caused some delay, but were able to get another copy of the drawing from another department and it was now being reviewed. The review should be done within the next couple of days and I asked that she fax me a copy of the final Part 2 documents so that we can have them in hand before the mailed copy arrives.

This fax will allow work on the storefront, windows and new openings to begin in earnest. Keep your fingers crossed that it comes this week.

Renovations began this week

Here Kimberly and David stand in front of the "art wall" where Kimberly has painted the announcement that "Renovation begins APR20". (and she appears to be holding up a pineapple....not sure what that means). The sign at the top was made so that when the wall comes down there is still some advertisement.

The water line has been moved and inspected. Concrete has been broken to allow footers (front store posts and stair) to be poured. The gas line marked to accommodate moving the meter from the front of the store to the side of the building. The dangerous stairs to the rooftop were removed. And, termite junk was poured around the foundation.

Changes are happening fast.

For you: A Free Movie Pass

Would you turn down an invitation to a free movie? You would if it was terrible? Well, how about if it is only 1.5 minutes long?

The folks downstairs turned the SketchUp file into a movie. You'll be hooked from the start. It begins as if you are walking down the sidewalk, across the street from 308westmain. You find yourself compelled to cross and enter the building. Upon entering you find open, people friendly space. Warm light cascades from a window on your left. A mezzanine invites you so you head toward the stairs. Or is it the beautiful woman above that you find yourself drawn to? What will happen as you approach?

Ok, you spent longer than 2 minutes reading this. Just watch the movie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MppHPCgiAY0

It'll be even better live.

Marketing Weekend

Contracts are signed. Renovation begins on Monday. More on that tomorrow......

The first floor of 308westmain is officially for lease. We kicked off this event by once again taking advantage of Durham Art Walk.

This weekend brought the streets of Durham more life with Art Walk '09. Remember that the fall Art Walk was the event where local youth were invited to paint the storefront construction facade. It was very cool. But repeating that would have seen unoriginal.

So this weekend I incorporated the help of a real artist. Kimberly painted an invitation to vote what the space should become. Then folks started stopping by. And stopping by. And stopping by. I met Europeans here as grad students, local residents excited by the changes, parents, kids, lawyers, council members, renovation specialists, and architects. So many interesting people. Really. And all of them were passionate about how a downtown should be reborn. Here's what we heard about my space:

1. an overwhelming response for a cafe/coffee shoppe.
2. a community grocery/corner market. The number of responses for this surprised me. So did the number of people that knew about Central Market opening but still requesting a market on a smaller scale. Interesting.
3. Retail space......especially of the boutique variety
4. a bar or club
5. gallery space, often coupled with cafe or coffee
6. small bookstore, magazine shop and cafe/coffee (seeing a trend....coffee goes with every request)
7. yoga/day spa
8. bicycle shop and coffee bar. This one interested me because the couple that discussed it had historical bikes and had a friend that was a repair "artist"
   
9. and one each response for boxing ring, Dollar Store, English Smoking Club, an occult shop and a combination martini bar/shoe shop

This really was one of my favorite weekends in Durham. The people made it special. May the space lease to someone who shares the dream of community.

And now to bed to get some rest for a great week.

Contract Review

Edits are underway to the construction contract. David is available to begin work. The National Parks Service contacted me for payment approval of Phase II of their review.

I'm getting real close to seeing progress!!!

State Historic Approval??

Today I received the Review and Recommendations from the State Historic Preservation Office. The document has "United States Department of the Interior - National Park Service" in the letterhead. Let's see....the Internal Revenue Service.....I've just doubled the number of US Government Agencies I am in contact with. Well, those are 2 that I know of.

My review "meets the Standards only if the attached conditions are met". The conditions are not that rigorous or disappointing:

1. plaster will need to be added to the walls where it has deteriorated...with allowance for "some" existing exposed masonry
   
2. the storefront must have clear glazing on the windows (no tint)
   
3. the storefront aluminum must be baked enamel to replicate the appearance of painted wood
4. mechanicals and duct-work can not result in lowering of the ceiling heights, impact the character of the building or be visible from the exterior. Ductwork needs to be set back from the storefront, needs be adjacent to walls and must be painted to match the ceiling color

OK. Not so bad. But, who doesn't like the character of aluminum colored ductwork? Paint it, really??!! This we might review.

Now, I found that this isn't really approval. The Federal government will review this State recommendation and can either rubber stamp their approval (which also would mean State approval), or they will add their requirements including potential areas the State didn't highlight.

Never-the-less.....After too many weeks I've seen progress in the approval. It should be any day now that the build can commence.

Oh, and the tournament begins on Thursday. Thursday and Friday should be a holidays.

Finally, Progress

After 7 months, something was ADDED to the building!!

The new roofing is nearly complete. All vent holes were repaired and new roofing material was laid down. The material starts up on the wall and each sheet is bonded to the other creating a seamless bond. This mostly dries the roof.....though there is still a big hole where the stairs come up on the roof. We need to remove the existing stairs, fill the space with plywood and then come back and bond this new material to fill the space.

Such a minor change, but major because it is my first.

More news from nowhere

Thanks to those who admonished me for not posting and/or to those who encouraged me to start up regular posting. This will be the first of more to come. I promise.

First, news of the building
Well, there's nothing much new to post. We are still awaiting State and Federal approval on the design. I desperately want to start hearing hammers. They call to me. But, the windows, storefront and new (old) window cut-outs have to be first. And, without State approval on the plans I might either 1) need to redo work or 2) lose out on tax credit opportunity. I'm not so much interested in either; so no meaningful construction right now.

I have uncovered a potential way for me to get capital and a real-estate professional to lower their tax burden. If you know of anyone in the real-estate business that wants to make about 20% on their money......send them my way.

Next, ramblings about nothing (most of you can stop reading)
I still love living in an urban environment. Sunday brunch, coffee and NY Times reading has become a regular event for me and friends at Parker and Otis. I continue to meet people who live in the downtown core and are excited by the potential, while remaining challenged by ways to integrate smartly. The Durham Station opened on Monday. A very European style transportation facility makes me excited about Durham's future and vision. There's talk of a "circular route" for short trips around the Duke/Downtown core. I would love to take the bus for a grocery run. Count me as one who would use the service.

One of my favorite bloggers took part in an urban design and planning exercise in Raleigh with leaders from the Triangle urban and rural centers. This was one of my favorite reads in a long while (including the NY Times articles on how crappy our economy is and will be). You must check it out, especially if you live in the area (defined by Burlington to Zebulon). It also has interesting principles about the challenges of collaboration. Speaking of Cisco.........

Work is going excellent. I (we) are succeeding on a project that I've been working for the last 6 months. But mostly, I'm learning just how challenging it is to work collaboratively. I'm too stubborn at times and at others I should be even more stubborn. I must find ways highlight the important areas and let go of the chaff. 'Tis hard for me though, because caring brings passion and then even the little stuff matters. So, because work is hard it is good. And, I'm thankful to have meaningful work right now.

I hope this for all of us.

Ciao.