by J. Brooks Terry
Staff Writer
By January, construction inside The Carlington residential loft project on West Adams Street should be underway.
Representatives from Vestcor Companies, the building’s developers, say they’re close to securing a loan and finalizing an architectural plan.
“As you can probably tell, we tore down the old parking garage in the rear of the building several months ago and we’ve also finished with all of the interior demolition,” said Severina Menor, a Vestcor development associate who is overseeing the project. “In doing that, we removed all of the interior walls and partitions and we’ve taken out all of the asbestos and lead paint.
“We’re hoping to go full bore very soon.”
When asked what was different, in terms of necessary construction, for 11 E., which Vestcor also developed, and the Carlington, Menor said it was obvious.
“A whole lot,” she said of the comparison. “Before we got to it, 11 E. was sealed and kept up much better, while this building was left open and exposed to precipitation. It was also much easier for someone to gain access. Those kinds of things have made it a much more challenging project.”
However, despite heavy deterioration inside the building, which was once the Roosevelt Hotel, Menor said Vestcor has remained on schedule.
The Carlington is set to open by December 2004.
“Before we got inside we knew that it would be pretty bad and our expectations were definitely met,” she said of the 13-story building. “But we’ve managed to stay on our original time table while being cognizant of all the historical aspects we need to be cognizant of.”
As historical property, Vestcor has been required to keep various components of The Carlington in tact, including windows, to qualify for a Historic Trust Fund grant, totaling $3 million.
“That’s something else unique about what we’re doing,” said Menor. “Normally, you don’t have to be worried about what to save and what not to save when you begin an entirely new project. We’re having to restore things on site while focusing on putting in structural steel and our other construction efforts. We’ve had to be very careful.”
When complete, The Carlington will feature 100 loft apartments with an additional 15,000 square feet devoted to retail space.
“We’re pleased with the work we’ve been able to accomplish so far,” said Menor. “It feels good to be finished with our first phase of construction and we look forward to finishing what we’ve started.”