You Can’t Build a Cool Marketplace on a Shaky Foundation

As we are preparing the street level of this historic building to become a vibrant community marketplace, we were reminded yet again of the trials and tribulations that come with restoring a historic building.  During the work, we uncovered something critical: a structural column, previously hidden in the wall, that had quietly taken on too much for too long.

Twisted and bent from over a century of carrying the building’s façade, the column no longer met today’s safety standards. It isn’t just a matter of aging steel—it is a matter of integrity, both structural and historical. Before we can build a space for commerce, connection, and creativity, we need to ensure the foundation is sound.

Our engineering team immediately started developing a reinforcement plan that will replace the compromised column with brand new steel, while preserving the building’s character. In the meantime, two temporary shoring posts are helping to bear the load.  Once installed, the new column will do double duty—defining the open, flexible space for the future marketplace, while supporting the two stories above that will house offices, classrooms, and even a dance studio.

This kind of behind-the-scenes work might not be flashy, but it is essential. Because when a space is meant to bring people together, safety and care have to come first.  It may not be visible once the marketplace opens, but this reinforcement is doing vital work—quietly supporting everything that’s to come.