iSWD Programming — Inside Southwest Detroit

The plywood wall has been moved out several feet to allow for more work space inside the addition. The actual interior portion of the community space will be most of what you see pictured here. Where you see plywood will be mostly floor to ceiling windows.

A cinderblock knee wall was erected along the Elsmere side of the building and will frame the large windows from there to the ceiling. Another cinderblock wall to connect the addition to the original exterior wall also went up. Early prep work for the new roof over the addition is beginning.

The bricks that were formerly part of the exterior (that are now inside the addition) will be adorned with the mural that will cover the outside of the building. The mural will come indoors here as well as at several other points inside the building.

Updates on the interior (including finishings) will be coming soon as the new concrete floor will poured in the addition in the coming weeks.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitMarch 1, 2017tap869, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, thealleyproject, ElsmereAndAvisComment

Brick Work Progress

Inside and outside brick work is pushing progress forward. The masonry around the opening for the office window is coming together. The exposed brick you see will remain inside the office as part of the plan for interior finishes.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitFebruary 24, 2017tap869, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, ElsmereAndAvis, thealleyprojectComment

Scaffolds Up!

Scaffolds went up and the brick work to repair the parapet is underway.

The building’s parapet, the low protective wall along the roof, protects the roof’s edges from wind damage among other things. Ours was not in good shape as the mortar had deteriorated and loose and missing bricks needed repair.

Several sunny and unseasonably warm days brought our neighbors by on bicycles and foot and gave us the chance to share more about what’s happening at the building.

When the brick work is completed the parapet will be capped with limestone. Compare the photos above to the roofline in the last few posts to see the difference.

Eventually the building will be covered in a large mural that wraps around 3 sides… so look up when you pass by because for a short time this step in the renovation reveals a beautiful piece of the building’s original appearance.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitFebruary 21, 2017tap869, thealleyproject, southwestdetroit, swdetroit, ElsmereAndAvisComment

Final Design Begins to Reveal

A busy week offers a better look at what the final design will look like. With the beams inside set into place, the rest of the steel starts to connect like legos.

The columns were set onto the threaded posts that were installed in the ground several weeks back. The horizontal beams outside connect the columns outside to the beams inside. Additional horizontal beams were run between the others and everything was threaded and welded into place.

The building is continuing to take shape.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitFebruary 7, 2017tap869, thealleyproject, southwestdetroit, ElsmereAndAvisComment

Steel Beams are Set

As the steel beams are being set into place things are starting to take shape inside.

Bricks removed from the outside of the building were saved, cleaned, and reused to build the columns on either side of the new doorway to the main entrance on Elsmere.

In the next few days the rest of the steel that was delivered will be set to form the bones for the building expansion on the Avis side.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitFebruary 6, 2017tap869, thealleyproject, ElsmereAndAvisComment

HVAC Units Delivered

The HVAC (Heating and Cooling) units were delivered and hoisted into place atop the building. Neighbors and passing traffic stopped to watch the crane in action this morning.

There is a lot of work (and people) involved in getting such heavy equipment from the truck to the building from leveling the crane for the load to guiding things into place and directing traffic all to assure proper installation and everyone’s safety.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitJanuary 27, 2017tap869, thealleyproject, ElsmereAndAvisComment

Steel Columns and Beams Have Arrived

The steel columns and beams for the building expansion have arrived!

Inside and out things will seem to come together suddenly. As the steel is set into place various building elements will start taking shape around the structure it provides.

In the following weeks doorways, ceilings, walls, windows and more will be under construction. More and more of the building’s new design will start to show very soon and we will be able to imagine more vividly what this corner will ultimately feel like.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitJanuary 26, 2017tap869, thealleyproject, ElsmereAndAvis, southwestdetroit, swdetroitComment

Exterior Doorways Now Visible

The new exterior doorways are visible as the brick and block is being cut and removed.

The terra cotta blocks behind the brick were a popular building material in the early 20th century. They are fire resistant and also strong when stacked but brittle from the side and so they are commonly found behind brick walls and in between steel structural elements on buildings. Here’s some information on them if you’re interested in learning more: http://historicbldgs.com/terra_cotta.htm

Our building has quite a bit of it. As the materials are being removed we are holding on to some of them, as well as the bricks, that are in tact for use around the building during construction. We are also saving some of the broken pieces for other potential projects after construction. Maybe we’ll do something with them during an Open Studio.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitJanuary 26, 2017tap869, thealleyproject, ElsmereAndAvisComment

Framing Existing Walls

Framing along the existing walls, and into the building interior for the new walls, is underway. Metal studs are typical for interior walls of commercial buildings. They are lighter than wood, do not warp or rot, and are virtually fireproof.

Have you ever seen or worked with metal studs? Here’s a link that provides a little tutorial on working with steel framing: http://www.wikihow.com/Install-Metal-Studs

Soon insulation will be installed between the studs to go with the insulation in the new roof to help keep the heating and cooling of the building as efficient as possible in the future.

The inside of the building is starting to take shape and it is getting easier each day to visualize how the inside of the building will work and feel! The new ceiling and drywall will make it easy to forget the raw space we’re standing in today. The photos will always be a reminder of the age and character of the building.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitJanuary 19, 2017tap869, thealleyproject, ElsmereAndAvisComment

Hanging Posters of Building on Building

Mav and crew came through to hang the new posters on the building! Much appreciated. The posters tell a little about what’s happening on the corner and provide #TAP869 as a way to keep up with construction and other updates.

The hashtag will be a channel to communicate with people who pass by daily and want to stay up on what’s happening behind the scenes when they may not know otherwise. Even though the days are shorter and colder and people don’t see each other as often to chat and share info, things are still happening. This is a way to help to keep neighbors and others informed.

For example, we have recently adjusted the construction schedule to line up with changes and new information such as availability of materials, permit schedules, and other factors. We anticipate that construction will be complete late April or early May. :)

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitDecember 30, 2016tap869, thealleyproject, ElsmereAndAvis, motorcitystreetdanceacademy, youngnationdetroitComment

Steel Beams and Plumbing in Place

The steel beams were set this week… inside from wall to wall, floor to ceiling, and outside in the ground to support the front expansion. Much of the plumbing that will be under the floor is also now in place.

A lot of the work that is wrapping up now will be work that is not visible later and sets the stage for the more noticeable to work to begin. :)

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitDecember 2, 2016tap869, elsmereandavis, thealleyprojectComment

Before and After Mural Installation at 1540 Elsmere

Before, during, and afters from the mural installation at 1540 Elsmere.

Artists shared their time and talents with neighbors as they brought the walls back to life on the corner of Falcon and Elsmere at TAP.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitNovember 14, 2016tap540, thealleyproject, falconandelsmere, swdetroit, southwestdetroitComment

Mural Installation at 1540 Elsmere

Friends and neighbors gathered at TAP for cleaning and a mural installation at 1540 Elsmere on an unseasonably warm Fall day

The building was formerly a neighborhood party store that closed several years ago. We recently found out the building was scheduled to be demolished. Neighbors and youth have told us repeatedly during design processes that they would like more things in the community to walk to, less empty spaces and lots, and more activity.

Together we are working to clean and activate the site with the hopes that another business can move into the space in the near future. Reanimating the corner will give us more reasons to share time and space with each other. Fingers crossed!

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitNovember 13, 2016tap540, thealleyproject, southwestdetroit, swdetroitComment

Brick Work Begins

The brick work has begun. It’s subtle but as they move down the building you can see the painted brick give way to restored masonry reminiscent of the building’s original look.

Check it out in person if you’re passing through. It is temporarily visible as the repairs are being made before the building’s facade work gets underway.

In the Spring a large-scale public art piece will be installed, wrapping the building with a high-quality, brightly colored mural. It is being developed by local artists to complement the building’s design and wrought ironwork designed and installed by southwest Detroit’s own Diseños.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitNovember 4, 2016tap869, elsmereandavis, thealleyprojectComment

Chuck the Contractor Keeps a Tidy Workspace

Chuck, the general contractor, told us before he started he likes to keep a clean and safe work site.

Inside and out they have kept up as shown here… going the extra mile with little things like painting the temporary facade and using the cinder blocks from the building to block off the work area.

Separately, its interesting to see the blocks like mixed up puzzle pieces of the artwork that was on the building. A couple neighbors have asked about the blocks today and will be able to come and get whatever is left over when the project is complete. :)

Trenches have been dug in the front to set the steel in 48″ of concrete to support the expansion on the front (Avis) side of the building. They will be filled soon.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitNovember 3, 2016tap869, elsmereandavis, thealleyproject, youngnationdetroitComment

Removal of Cinderblocks Reveals the Building's Frame

As the cinderblocks come off the front of the building they reveal more of the building’s original look. The front had a diagonal entrance at the corner and probably had a decorative wood frame with windows surrounding it.

As the rest of the blocks are removed they will be used to block off the work area in the front. Eventually some of the materials that are removed (cinderblocks, bricks, etc) will be used in other parts of the building as needed.

Inside trenches have been dug for new plumbing and electrical work to service the new layout. Trenches will be dug outside in a couple days for the foundation for the front expansion and patio. Stay tuned for more updates!!

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitOctober 29, 2016thealleyproject, elsmereandavis, youngnationdetroit, southwestdetroit, tap869Comment

#PeoplesAndPlaces of TAP

Fall’s weather and pace always gives us ways to naturally connect with each other after busy summers. Some of the #PeopleAndPlaces of TAP we’ve had some time with this past week.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitOctober 14, 2016thealleyproject, southwestDetroit, AvisStreet, FalconStreet, ElsmereAndAvisComment

Creative/Working Space on The Alley Project

These are some of the working/creative spaces on The Alley Project and the people that animate them. Young Nation staff/board, Stitching Up Detroit-ers, artists, mentors, and youth plan and create weekly on TAP all year long thanks to a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces… some activated within the past 12 months!

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitOctober 12, 2016thealleyproject, tap233, tap725, stitchingupdetroit, graceinaction, southwestdetroit, swdetroitComment

Original Openings On The Building Revealed

The original openings on the building are being revealed during the deconstruction/preparation process. In some ways its starting to become easier to picture what the building may have been set up like in the 20′s when it was originally built. This will become more obvious in the coming weeks when more bricks and blocks are removed to prepare for construction!

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitOctober 7, 2016tap869, thealleyproject, southwestdetroit, youngnationdetroit, elsmereandavisComment

Work On Building Becomes Visible

“Young Nation will engage Southwest Detroit youth, adults, and business owners to lead the transformation of a vacant structure and lot into active sites of cultural and community development. A participatory design and development process will expand The Alley Project at the key neighborhood intersection of Avis and Elsmere.” -Young Nation’s ArtPlace America Grant Request (2015)

This week work on the building became visible from the outside! In 12-14 weeks we’ll be sitting inside looking through pics of when it looked like this and talking about what we all did together to create a new space.

OrganizationInside Southwest DetroitOctober 5, 2016thealleyproject, tap869, tap101, swdetroit, youngnationdetroitComment