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There’s more action at the Besse Hotel these days than has happened in several years.
Right now, more than 35 workers are tearing apart the historic building so they can rebuild the former hotel to a modern rendition of its former glory.
After securing final funding for the Besse, Garrison Development has started a $9.4 million project to turn the historic hotel into 46 units of low-to-moderate income housing.
Adam Schafersman, superintendent for Fauss Wygo, the general contractor on the project, said the company is renovating only floors eight and below, leaving floors nine to 13 clean but un-renovated. But there’s plenty of work to be done in the building.
“We’ve got to put in a new elevator, put in sprinklers, mechanical-electrical-plumbing work,” Schafersman said. “We’ve got brick restoration to do from top to bottom. The brick on the job is in pretty good conditions, but there are some places near the downspouts that weren’t working out.”
The first job for the construction workers is to remove the debris and to conduct demolition before the building can be rebuilt on the inside. An old chimney that runs the length of the hotel has been turned into a modified trash and debris chute for the floors above it, letting workers get trash, appliances and debris down to the ground floor faster.
“There’s just a lot of general debris,” Schafersman said. “A lot of people just left behind trash bags full of stuff. People have left behind photo albums and personal items. A lot of times we’ll get into little places, and some room has been picked over so many times.”
Demolition, which has included removing the lead and asbestos from the building, is about 25-30 percent complete, Schafersman said.
“The demolition in the basement is done, but it was by far the worst,” Schafersman said. “It was loaded with trash, all piled up. All the old pites down there, it was just one of the dirtiest places. We’ve also finished work on the eighth floor and we’ll be done with the seventh floor on Monday.”
Garrison Development is making sure to keep the historical significance of the Besse. Although there is a large hole cut into the southeast side of the building to remove debris faster, the storefronts will eventually be restored, as well as restoring several other aspects of the hotel, but with modern improvements. All plans and details must be approved through several stages, going as high as the National Parks office in Washington, D.C., because of the tax credits involved.
Schafersman said the project is still on track to be completed in nine to 10 months, with a goal to be completed by the end of November.
“The owner just wants a quality project, done on time and perfect. This is his ninth or tenth historic renovation, so it’s not like this is new to him.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
There’s more action at the Besse Hotel these days than has happened in several years.
Right now, more than 35 workers are tearing apart the historic building so they can rebuild the former hotel to a modern rendition of its former glory.
After securing final funding for the Besse, Garrison Development has started a $9.4 million project to turn the historic hotel into 46 units of low-to-moderate income housing.
Adam Schafersman, superintendent for Fauss Wygo, the general contractor on the project, said the company is renovating only floors eight and below, leaving floors nine to 13 clean but un-renovated. But there’s plenty of work to be done in the building.
“We’ve got to put in a new elevator, put in sprinklers, mechanical-electrical-plumbing work,” Schafersman said. “We’ve got brick restoration to do from top to bottom. The brick on the job is in pretty good conditions, but there are some places near the downspouts that weren’t working out.”
The first job for the construction workers is to remove the debris and to conduct demolition before the building can be rebuilt on the inside. An old chimney that runs the length of the hotel has been turned into a modified trash and debris chute for the floors above it, letting workers get trash, appliances and debris down to the ground floor faster.
“There’s just a lot of general debris,” Schafersman said. “A lot of people just left behind trash bags full of stuff. People have left behind photo albums and personal items. A lot of times we’ll get into little places, and some room has been picked over so many times.”
Demolition, which has included removing the lead and asbestos from the building, is about 25-30 percent complete, Schafersman said.
“The demolition in the basement is done, but it was by far the worst,” Schafersman said. “It was loaded with trash, all piled up. All the old pites down there, it was just one of the dirtiest places. We’ve also finished work on the eighth floor and we’ll be done with the seventh floor on Monday.”
Garrison Development is making sure to keep the historical significance of the Besse. Although there is a large hole cut into the southeast side of the building to remove debris faster, the storefronts will eventually be restored, as well as restoring several other aspects of the hotel, but with modern improvements. All plans and details must be approved through several stages, going as high as the National Parks office in Washington, D.C., because of the tax credits involved.
Schafersman said the project is still on track to be completed in nine to 10 months, with a goal to be completed by the end of November.
“The owner just wants a quality project, done on time and perfect. This is his ninth or tenth historic renovation, so it’s not like this is new to him.”
Andrew Nash can be reached at andrew.nash@morningsun.net or by calling 231-2600 ext. 132.
