Skinny downtown landmark gets facelift
By Dave Dreeszen Journal business editor | Posted: Sunday, September 14, 2008
Local developer Ritch LeGrand stands in front of the three-story commercial building at the northwest corner of Fifth and Douglas streets in downtown Sioux City. LeGrand and his business partner, Cam Smith, recently renovated the exterior and interior of the 1919 structure, which is being turned into Class A office space. (Staff photo by Tim Hynds)
SIOUX CITY -- Notice something different about that tall, skinny building in downtown Sioux City -- the one at the northwest corner of Fifth and Douglas streets?
A major renovation project, designed to transform the three floors into top-notch office space, has given the nearly 90-year-old building a much different look.
The main entrance, which wraps around the south and east ends of the building, now sports large, floor-to-ceiling windows. A decorative, steel awning also has been added to enhance the exterior appearance.
"It really wasn't the sharpest looking place prior to the renovation,'' said the project’s architect, Nathan Kalaher of M+ Architects. "I'm very happy how the project turned out.''
Though it's not mentioned in the same breath as other older downtown commercial structures, with more architectural and historical significance, Kalaher said the building at 501 Douglas St. structure is arguably a local landmark, due to its unique dimensions -- 25-by-65 feet -- and spot on one of downtown's busiest intersections.
"Everybody knows that building because of its unusual slender shape, which lends itself to being the flat iron of Sioux City,'' he said. "It really stands out. I think everybody one way or another has noticed that building over time, and why everybody has caught on to the renovation.''
Business partners Ritch LeGrand and Kam Smith acquired the building earlier this year from the Carpenters' Local 948.
The Carpenters and two other local unions, the Sheet Metal Workers and the Operating Engineers, long had offices on the upper two floors, while the first floor housed the Cobbler's Bench, a shoe repair shop operated by Dick Stevens. Prior to that, the first-floor space was occupied by a frame shop owned by Bill Harper.
After the Carpenters put the building up for sale, LeGrand, who is also a veteran commercial Realtor, said he heard one prospective buyer wanted to open a tatoo parlor in there. LeGrand said he felt that would not be an appropriate use for such a prominent place in the downtown business district, not far from City Hall, the Federal Building and the Wilbur Aalfs Library.
"We thought we should make sure that didn't happen,'' LeGrand recalled. "One thing led to another and here we are.''
It didn't take long for LeGrand and Smith to realize they had their work cut out for them modernizing the building.
"We spent a lot of money demolishing everything inside,'' LeGrand said, as he led a tour last Monday. "It hadn't been touched for 40 years probably.''
LeGrand said Kalaher's past experience working with the rehabilitation of historic buildings proved benefical. His other projects have included the transformation of a turn-of-the-century power plant in the Historic Fourth District into the ISU Design West Studio, a satellite classroom and studio for Iowa State University students and faculty.
One of the biggest challenges with the Fifth and Douglas building, Kalaher said, was how to turn the southeast corner into a professional-looking front entrance. Old, weathered wood was used to fill in around smaller windows in that corner. Some windows on the upper floors also had been boarded over years ago.
"We didn't even know they were there until we started the demolition process,'' Kalaher said.
To create the new main entrance, contractors removed bricks along the south and east sides. After installing the oversized windows, bricks were filled back in to retain the historic integrity of the building, LeGrand said. A large ugly-looking iron fire escape on the south side also was removed. It was replaced by a long narrow metal device that can be cranked open on the third floor to create a set of stairs.
"When you crank it back up, it looks like a drain,'' Le Grand said.
On the top two levels, uniform rows of new heavy-duty insulated windows were installed. That allows ample natural light to flow inside to the floors, where the renovation restored the building's original 15-foot-tall ceilings.
"This would be a pretty neat space to have your office right here, with the windows and the view,'' LeGrand said from the third floor, overlooking the rushing traffic below on Douglas Street.
W.A. Klinger was the general contractor for the renovation, in which new electrical, heating and cooling and mechanical systems were installed. The interior space -- about 1,600 square feet on each floor, will be finished to the specifications of tenants.
LeGrand, who plans to begin marketing the space soon, said his first preference would be to find a large enough office tenant to take both the first and second floors, which he said tie in well together. The top floor could be an ideal place for executive suites, he said.
The location could provide valuable marketing to some firms, he noted.
"On a busy corner like this, it can become signature location for a company can put their name out on front of the building and get some advertising value.''
Because the building covers the entire lot, there is no on-site parking. But a city ramp is just a short walk across Fifth Street.
The 501 Douglas St. building adds to the supply of Class A office space, the highest local quality available. The demand for that class has grown as the two largest Class A buildings downtown -- the Terra Centre and the MidAmerican Energy building -- have filled up in recent years.
SIOUX CITY -- Last February, the Carpenters' Local 948 left its decades-old home in downtown Sioux City.
After selling its three-story building at 501 Douglas St., the local moved into its current offices at 2200 W.19th St.
The West 19th Street facility was d by
The union's District Council established the West 19th Street facility to provide a more modern training facility, said Steve Bansy, Local 948's business representative. There was enough extra space for Local 948 to also move its offices there, he said.
-- Dave Dreeszen
A major renovation project, designed to transform the three floors into top-notch office space, has given the nearly 90-year-old building a much different look.
The main entrance, which wraps around the south and east ends of the building, now sports large, floor-to-ceiling windows. A decorative, steel awning also has been added to enhance the exterior appearance.
"It really wasn't the sharpest looking place prior to the renovation,'' said the project’s architect, Nathan Kalaher of M+ Architects. "I'm very happy how the project turned out.''
Though it's not mentioned in the same breath as other older downtown commercial structures, with more architectural and historical significance, Kalaher said the building at 501 Douglas St. structure is arguably a local landmark, due to its unique dimensions -- 25-by-65 feet -- and spot on one of downtown's busiest intersections.
"Everybody knows that building because of its unusual slender shape, which lends itself to being the flat iron of Sioux City,'' he said. "It really stands out. I think everybody one way or another has noticed that building over time, and why everybody has caught on to the renovation.''
Business partners Ritch LeGrand and Kam Smith acquired the building earlier this year from the Carpenters' Local 948.
The Carpenters and two other local unions, the Sheet Metal Workers and the Operating Engineers, long had offices on the upper two floors, while the first floor housed the Cobbler's Bench, a shoe repair shop operated by Dick Stevens. Prior to that, the first-floor space was occupied by a frame shop owned by Bill Harper.
After the Carpenters put the building up for sale, LeGrand, who is also a veteran commercial Realtor, said he heard one prospective buyer wanted to open a tatoo parlor in there. LeGrand said he felt that would not be an appropriate use for such a prominent place in the downtown business district, not far from City Hall, the Federal Building and the Wilbur Aalfs Library.
"We thought we should make sure that didn't happen,'' LeGrand recalled. "One thing led to another and here we are.''
It didn't take long for LeGrand and Smith to realize they had their work cut out for them modernizing the building.
"We spent a lot of money demolishing everything inside,'' LeGrand said, as he led a tour last Monday. "It hadn't been touched for 40 years probably.''
LeGrand said Kalaher's past experience working with the rehabilitation of historic buildings proved benefical. His other projects have included the transformation of a turn-of-the-century power plant in the Historic Fourth District into the ISU Design West Studio, a satellite classroom and studio for Iowa State University students and faculty.
One of the biggest challenges with the Fifth and Douglas building, Kalaher said, was how to turn the southeast corner into a professional-looking front entrance. Old, weathered wood was used to fill in around smaller windows in that corner. Some windows on the upper floors also had been boarded over years ago.
"We didn't even know they were there until we started the demolition process,'' Kalaher said.
To create the new main entrance, contractors removed bricks along the south and east sides. After installing the oversized windows, bricks were filled back in to retain the historic integrity of the building, LeGrand said. A large ugly-looking iron fire escape on the south side also was removed. It was replaced by a long narrow metal device that can be cranked open on the third floor to create a set of stairs.
"When you crank it back up, it looks like a drain,'' Le Grand said.
On the top two levels, uniform rows of new heavy-duty insulated windows were installed. That allows ample natural light to flow inside to the floors, where the renovation restored the building's original 15-foot-tall ceilings.
"This would be a pretty neat space to have your office right here, with the windows and the view,'' LeGrand said from the third floor, overlooking the rushing traffic below on Douglas Street.
W.A. Klinger was the general contractor for the renovation, in which new electrical, heating and cooling and mechanical systems were installed. The interior space -- about 1,600 square feet on each floor, will be finished to the specifications of tenants.
LeGrand, who plans to begin marketing the space soon, said his first preference would be to find a large enough office tenant to take both the first and second floors, which he said tie in well together. The top floor could be an ideal place for executive suites, he said.
The location could provide valuable marketing to some firms, he noted.
"On a busy corner like this, it can become signature location for a company can put their name out on front of the building and get some advertising value.''
Because the building covers the entire lot, there is no on-site parking. But a city ramp is just a short walk across Fifth Street.
The 501 Douglas St. building adds to the supply of Class A office space, the highest local quality available. The demand for that class has grown as the two largest Class A buildings downtown -- the Terra Centre and the MidAmerican Energy building -- have filled up in recent years.
SIOUX CITY -- Last February, the Carpenters' Local 948 left its decades-old home in downtown Sioux City.
After selling its three-story building at 501 Douglas St., the local moved into its current offices at 2200 W.19th St.
The West 19th Street facility was d by
The union's District Council established the West 19th Street facility to provide a more modern training facility, said Steve Bansy, Local 948's business representative. There was enough extra space for Local 948 to also move its offices there, he said.
-- Dave Dreeszen
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MM wrote on Sep 14, 2008 12:55 PM:
I love seeing the older buildings being revamped, thank you! "
Adam wrote on Sep 14, 2008 10:27 AM: