Clearly Better!

Last week ~



and now ~


~ the office suite has its own entrance.


So does the lobby of the Soup Kitchen ~


[I Photoshopped the red framing to complete the wall between the lobby and Commercial 3.]

There's a great view of the Courthouse from Commercial 3 ~



The down side of all this glass? Everyone can see our stacks of stuff, and it isn't pretty. I guess somebody is going to have to do something about that.

Installing New Storefronts: Week Two

Monday Morning, 8:00 AM



Monday Morning, 10:00 AM



Thursday Afternoon
Door #3 - Entrance to the Office Suite



We had been told that the windows and doors would be installed on Monday afternoon, and "tomorrow", and on Friday. Hm-m-m.

Another Historic Discovery

Part of the process of building an new exit at the rear of the building involves removing a large panel of electrical equipment which is no longer in use. When the plywood back board came down, there was the sign.



A quick trip to the genealogy library and a peek in the 1910 city directory revealed that W. E. Chilcote had an office at 215 W. Main, and was selling life insurance there. He and his wife Minnie and their two children, Donald and Marie, lived at 208 E. Madison. The Sanborn Fire Map confirmed that 215 W. Main was at the same location in 1909 that it is today. (This matters because some of the addresses changed through the years.) Mr. Chicote passed away in 1928. His obituary says that he was a long time businessman in Washington, first with the dry goods store of Mayer and Chilcote, and then as an insurance agent.



Now class, who has a theory about why Mr. Chilcote's sign ended up as scrap wood used to close up a basement window?

How To Install New Storefronts

The method is quite simple, actually. Choose a blank wall, draw a door and a window with chalk on the wall, and call the pros. It worked for us, and it can work for you!

Step One
Remove the tin ceiling from the area where the brick wall will be cut. This is a job that's well suited to a retired teacher.



Step Two
Shore up the main floor in the basement, and every level above that. This is just two of many jacks that were used.



Step Three
Drill several holes in the wall above the location of the header beam. Each hole should be from 8 to 12 inches in diameter. That's not a coffee can, that's the drill bit!



Step Four
Gently slip needle beams into the holes, and shore them up on each side of the wall.



Step Five
Once all the shoring is in place, rev up the saw and cut a slot for the support beam. At this point, the cuts are not showing on the interior side yet.



Step Six
Remove the brick from the outside wall, leaving a layer of brick inside for support.


Step Seven
Place the beam on the elevator, being careful to align it with the opening.



Step Eight
With the beam securely aboard, crank the elevator up to the opening.



Step Nine
Carefully slide the beam into the slot, but be careful not to push too hard.



Step Ten

Finally, remove the final layer of brick on the interior. Tweak the installation as needed to level and plumb the beam.

This job goes on forever, but the party never ends…

Can you identify the party goers?

How 'bout a closer look ~

* Office Suite - Orientation and First Report

While we've been focusing on the apartments, Troy and his crew have been raising some dust on the main floor and mezzanine. The office suite is starting to take shape.

This photo shows the floor plan for the ground level portion of the office suite. The entrance from Main Street is at the top of the drawing. The main floor has a reception area, a conference room, a work area, and a restroom. If you compare this drawing to one that was posted last fall, you might notice a few changes, but this is the closest drawing to the expected outcome.



This drawing shows the private offices on the mezzanine. The yellow area to the right is the portion of the main floor work area that can be seen from the mezzanine.


I'll relate future photos to the numbers on the plan so you can get an indea of which direction we're looking. Unfortuately, my computer skills are not sharp enough to blend these two plans into a single image, so you'll have to mentally slide the two pieces together so there is just one dark green stairway.

All the construction has taken place on the mezzanine so far. The photo below is the view at the head of the stairs, looking toward Office 1; it's site #6 on the plan, but turned a bit farther to the right than the arrow shows.


This is from the same spot (#5), but turned to the left. It's the hallway between the railing and the offices.


This is the view from site # 7, inside Office 2 looking out over the mezzanine railing.

We Are Honored

Thank You!

Nearly? Almost? Just a Little More?

Our Open House was yesterday evening, and were very pleased to see so many visitors. On Monday morning, I was starting to think that we're never be ready, even though the definition of ready was turning into somthing like, "Hide it or take it downstairs." We had only half a floor in Apartment 1, and no countertops on the cabinets where we planned to serve food and drinks. It was truly the eleventh hour (11:00 AM, to be exact) when the countertops for Apartment 1 arrived, and don't they look great!



The kitchen floor was grouted just in time to move in the refrigerator and stove. Again, it looks fabulous! We got super cooperation from the contractors. They worked right up until the last minute, and then cleaned up beautifully.



Although the flooring wasn't quite all in place, it's gorgeous too.



I was too busy talking to our guests to take any photos during the open house, so I can't show you how nicely Amy from Jaz It Up! decorated the entry hall in Apartment 1. The furniture and decorative items she used made it seem homey and lived in. Thank you, Amy, for sticking with us!

How We Got This Far

I can attest that, in spite of all previous posts detailing what we've been doing to improve the building, we didn't do it alone. These people and companies were a big part of the project, and without their skills and support, nothing would have happened.


OUR THANKS TO ~


Architect …………………………. Douglas J. Steinmetz, Cedar Rapids

General Carpentry ……………… APEX Construction, Iowa City

Appliances ……………………………… Lyons’ Appliance, Washington

Cabinets & Countertops ………………. Bruty Lumber, Washington

Cabinet Installation & Finishing Touches …Scott Hughes, Brighton

Carpet …………………………… Bruty’s Carpet Corner, Washington

Electrical Work ………………… Marie Electric, Washington

Financing ………………………… Federation Bank, Washington
…………… and a Washington Incentive Fund (WIF) Loan
…………… and a Washington Chamber of Commerce Grant
……………and Washington Preservation LLC Shareholders

Floor Refinishing ……………… Joe Lins, M & M Hardwood Floors, Washington

Heating and Air Conditioning ….…. Ryan Meader, Brighton, for Johnson Controls, Cedar Rapids

Lighting Fixtures (partial)……………Sitlers, Washington

Paint and Miscellaneous Supplies …True Value Hardware, Washington

Plumbing ……………………………… Zager Plumbing, Washington

Roofing and insulation ………… Aaron Meader, M & M Kote-It, Brighton

Tile Installation……………… Bret & Randy Swift, Washington

Windows …………Russell Payne, Washington
…………………… and Gregg Payne, Mt. Pleasant
…………………… and Terry Phillips, Riverside
…………………… and Sorrell Glass, Washington

Catch Up Time

Last week, while I was out of town visiting family, stuff happened. (I've seen that bumper sticker, and this stuff is not that stuff.)

The most impressive change was the installation of Apartment 1 kitchen cabinets. Counter tops are ordered and should arrive early next week, maybe just in time for the open house.



The bathroom tile was grouted which means that the vanity could be set in place. Over-the-mirror lighting is next.



While I was gone, Bob the carpenter leveled the floor in Apartment 1, too, and started fastening down the new maple flooring.



On Friday, my first day back in town, we got new carpet on the front stairs. Such an improvement!



Bet you're wondering why all the activity seems to be happening in Apartment 1, and if it's just a coincidence that I was gone, and that I'm managing Apartment 2. You were, weren't you?



Not to worry. My busy partner took care of all the above, and more, and still managed to find a way to get the metal ceiling repairs going in Apartment 2. We still have to paint the new pieces, but the job is almost finished. Thanks!

Hey! We're Inviting You

BRYSON APARTMENTS
Open House
103 1/2 S. Marion Avenue

Tuesday, July 31

11:30 - 1:00
and
5:00 - 6:30
an Alive After Five event

According to Karen, “There’s nothing else like them anywhere in Washington!”

Apartment Details

Ceiling light and fan in the living area of Apartment 1.



Refurbished door and hardware for the pantry in Apartment 1.