ETI has been engaged to complete the restoration of a commercial office space located in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. The building, currently owned and managed by Red Sky Capital, requires major facade rebuild work, roof reframing, partial demolition and a new storefront system which includes masonry and structural work..
“We received an emergency call from Red Sky about an issue they were having on one of their commercial properties in the West Loop,” says ETI Director of Construction Mario Miranda. “Basically, the facade on both the first and second floor failed, which is a huge hazard.”
To address the immediate safety issues presented by the failed facade, ETI organized and implemented the remediation of the building to make it safe for any peripheral foot traffic and the neighboring properties. Due to the severity of the damage and the impending safety complications that resulted, the issue required an expedited weekend response.
“When Red Sky called, it was a Saturday afternoon. Because there were structural complications, we coordinated and mobilized the demolition and scaffolding subcontractors, and went to the site immediately,” says Miranda.
After overseeing the necessary subcontractor operations, the street was closed off to both vehicular and foot traffic as an extra safety precaution.
“Safety is always the number one priority,” says Miranda. “The property is also adjacent to a school, so it was essential to secure the area first before continuing down the road to rebuilding.”
The scope of work for this project is multi-faceted, and will involve the expertise of both an architect and an engineer.
“We’re no strangers to complex building restorations,” says Miranda. “We’ve coordinated projects like this that require a structural engineer and architect. An example of this is a major fire restoration project we completed in the South suburbs, so we understand the importance of collaboration on buildings that have complexities like this one.”
The building sustained a severe amount of damage to both its roof and major facades on both the first and second floors, according to Miranda.
“As a building gets older, the probability of that building experiencing a significant structure failure goes up exponentially” says Miranda. “Once things start to fall apart, it pretty much snowballs from there.”
Weather can play a big role in the deterioration of an older building. In this instance, heavy downpours put a significant amount of stress on the 100-year old building, causing the roof to collapse. The collapsed roof pushed the facade out and into the street.
Miranda says the most important aspect of this project will be strictly adhering to any and all safety guidelines so that all parties involved, including neighboring properties, remain safe.
“This is a pretty invasive project on an older building,” says Miranda. “Any time you do work in an older, outdated setting, you really need to be paying attention to regulations and codes – it’s even more critical with a school right next door.”
The four-month project is set to kick off later this summer.
“There are structural rebuilds involved in this project,” says Miranda. “While it will be challenging, we’re confident that with our experienced rebuild and restoration team, we will get the job done right and keep the surrounding area safe while doing so.