It has been a quiet couple of months, but we have a variety of work planned for this spring. First up, next week(!) we will start removing the awning that currently wraps around the building along West Blackwell and North Sussex.
Why remove the awning? Well, if nothing else, we hope that it helps get rid of the pigeons that make a mess of the sidewalk! More seriously, our intent is to return the building to a more historically accurate exterior so when our renovation is complete, there will be partial awnings over various entries. (These partial awnings will be retractable, so hopefully the pigeons can't make them home.)
In addition to removing the awning, we will removing the wood paneling at the ground level along N. Sussex Street. Our goal here is to explore the condition of the underlying brick walls - as you can see in the image above, the building originally had exposed brick with some beautiful details at the ground level - we hope to find that this brick is still in good shape!
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by removal of the awning, and we also apologize that the building's appearance will take a turn for the worse before we embark on our planned improvements. Don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or comments!
Will the recently uncovered J.J. Newberry brick face be retained?
Chris glad to see movement. The success of the Sportsflex renovations if carried over to the Blackwell St. building will greatly contribute to a strong and vibrant downtown.
Thanks for the update Chris. Good luck. Hope you find some beautiful original brick work behind the wood panels!