5 Tips for Rehabilitating a Historic Commercial Building

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In many cities across the country, revitalization efforts are underway to improve city infrastructures. Local businesses have become an integral part of this, investing in the community through the rehabilitation of historic commercial buildings. While the benefits of restoring these older buildings are seemingly endless (restoring rundown neighborhoods, tax benefits, and cultural appreciation, just to name a few), many of these buildings are dilapidated and require much work.

If you’re thinking about rehabilitating a historic building for your business or commercial enterprise, here are some tips to get you started:

Restore vs. rehabilitate

5 Tips for Rehabilitating a Historic Commercial Building

The first thing you should know is the difference between restoring and rehabilitating a historic building, as many people use these terms incorrectly. Restoring a building means turning it back to how it once looked, removing any modern additions. Rehabilitating a building, on the other hand, means preserving important historical features while making it useful for contemporary needs.

Do your research

While you’ll be adding modern pieces and appliances, you need to make sure that you’re honoring the history of the building as well. The only way to do so is by investigating the original blueprints, owners, time period, and more. If you’re unable to find any records on your building, then research similar buildings that were built in the same period. This will give you a better idea of the architectural pieces you should preserve, and those that can be changed or updated without losing the building’s unique charm.

Repair, don’t replace

Depending on how run-down the building is, you may be limited on how much you can save. Nevertheless, if there’s the slightest chance that you can save something, do. Many older buildings have original pieces that cannot be bought from the store. Additionally, restoring pieces rather than making them from scratch again will save you money in the long run.

Begin with the exterior

When it comes to older buildings, the best place to start is the exterior. Often times, historic buildings have crumbling infrastructures, so if you want the best results, you’ll need to give it a solid foundation before working on anything inside.

Watch out for water damage

As a result of those crumbling exteriors, one of the most common problems older buildings face is water damage. If left unchecked, it can cause dry rot, bugs, and structural damage. Therefore, make sure it gets fixed by walking through your building and checking common areas such as the ceilings, floors, and windows for any signs of water.

While you’re rehabilitating your historic commercial building, it’s important to protect the parts of the building that are still in pristine condition. At Construction Protection Systems, LLC., our door protectors will ensure that the original doors to your historic buildings remain just as they did when they were first constructed. For more information, give us a call at 303-740-6700 today.

Texas A&M International Dedicates New Academic Innovation Center

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Modern ClassroomJust in time for the school’s 50th anniversary, Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) in Laredo hosted a dedication ceremony for its state-of-the-art Academic Innovation Center (AIC) in late August, 2019. The innovation center, which has been under construction since 2016 under the guidance of Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, is home to new 21 educational labs and classrooms as well as faculty and staff offices.

The three-story, 500-foot-long building features more glass than any other building on campus, ensuring that “90% of the AIC space is bathed in natural light,” according to TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz. The west side of the innovation center incorporates several architectural elements from the original campus, such as limestone accents, hip-roofs and natural finishes in marble and cherry wood. The building’s east side, meanwhile, embraces a more contemporary design consistent with modernist architecture of the mid-20th century.

“It’s a remarkable structure that truly advances how we define learning at TAMIU,” said Dr. Arenaz during the dedication ceremony. “Technology is integrated throughout the entire building with teaching walls, while the classroom architecture itself is flexible to encourage collaboration.”

According to TAMIU Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Information Services Steve Harmon, the AIC will primarily serve as a collaborative learning space for the school’s STEM and engineering programs.

“We really needed to have a space that was really dedicated to STEM and that allowed lots of opportunities for people to work together,” said Harmon in an interview. “there’s just technology integrated throughout the whole complex.”

You can take a virtual tour of the Academic Innovation Center in the video below!

Here at Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the development of this innovative new building on the campus of Texas A&M International University. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield – the original, reusable door protection system.

Georgia Bureau of Investigations Opens New, State-of-the-Art Crime Lab

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Crime LaboratoryLaw enforcement agencies in Georgia’s Coast Plains region will spend less time waiting for forensic testing results, thanks to a new crime laboratory operated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) that recently opened in the city of Pooler. The 64,000-square-foot facility will replace an existing lab in nearby Savannah that is more than 30 years old and roughly one-third the size of the new lab.

“Our goal is to seek the truth, and this will help us get there,” said GBI Director Vic Reynolds during the crime lab’s ribbon cutting ceremony.

While the GBI’s old crime lab in Savannah could accommodate only 26 employees and two doctors, the new lab has enough space for up to 70 employees and five doctors. This added room for growth will allow the GBI to serve local law enforcement agencies more efficiently now and well into the future. According to Governor Brian Kemp, the facility is designed to last “50 years, or so.”

In addition to doubling the capacity for GBI staff, the new crime lab will be able to perform toxicology tests that couldn’t be conducted in the old facility. These tests are designed to measure and analyze the presence of drugs, alcohol or poisons in a person’s body. Prior to the opening of the crime lab in Pooler, toxicology tests had to be sent further away to GBI locations in Augusta and Decatur.

“This is a great day for law enforcement,” said Georgia State Patrol Colonel Mark McDonough in a statement. “It gives us access to crime lab specialists who can do those tests, can testify to the results of them.”

Pooler Mayor Mike Lamb, meanwhile, noted that the GBI crime lab will not only speed up forensic investigations in the region, but also create new jobs for area residents.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had an opportunity to play a part, however small, in the development of this valuable law enforcement facility. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield – the original, reusable door protection system.

The New Terminal at SLC International Airport is Taking Shape

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Salt Lake CityThe Salt Lake City International Airport is currently undergoing a massive redevelopment effort that airport officials are calling “The New SLC.” The airport has significantly outgrown its current facilities, which were designed in the 1960s to accommodate less than half of the 26 million passengers it now serves each year. Today, it’s the 23rd busiest airport in North America.

Salt Lake City’s new terminal complex will not only be much larger, but also more efficient and compliant with modern earthquake safety standards. The terminal’s designers expect to obtain LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and they’ve even developed a plan to make the facility generate as much power as it uses.

Salt Lake city Boarding Pass

It’s also interesting to note that no tax dollars are being used to fund the $3.6 billion redevelopment project. Instead, it’s being funded by a combination of federal grants, airport reserves, revenue bonds and user fees.

Now, with just one year left until The New SLC is slated to open, the airport’s massive terminal and south concourse are nearing completion.

The New SLC’s baggage system is already in place, according to local CBS affiliate KUTV, and the jetways that will guide passengers from the concourse to their flights are in the process of being installed. A number of escalators, elevators and moving walkways are being installed throughout the terminal and south concourse as well.

Other quality-of-life improvements at the airport include new parking facilities and upgraded bathrooms with two separate sections that allow them to be cleaned without being closed completely. The exterior of the terminal, meanwhile, was designed to mimic the scenic desert landscape of Utah.

You can get a first-hand look at the airport’s progress in the time lapse video below!


The new terminal and concourse are scheduled to open on September 15, 2020 but work on The New SLC won’t be done just yet. Additional renovations on the airport’s three existing concourses are expected to continue until 2022.

Here at Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the ongoing redevelopment effort at the Salt Lake City International Airport. To learn more, stay tuned for the latest updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield® — the original, reusable door protection system.

Parq Vancouver Offers Luxury Hotels, Casinos and More

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VancouverDowntown Vancouver is the new home of an “international entertainment destination” that constitutes one of the largest construction projects the city has seen in decades. Located next to the BC Place Stadium, Parq Vancouver is a sprawling urban resort that includes two luxury hotels with more than 500 rooms, a casino with 600 slot machines and 75 tables, and a 30,000-square-foot rooftop park that sits six floors above street level. Jan Zeschky, a journalist at the Vancouver Courier, described the scale of the resort as “staggering.”

Parq Vancouver also features more than 60,000 square feet of event space, a spa, and eight different restaurants that serve everything from traditional pub faire to high-end steak and seafood. It’s even home to the largest ballroom in Western Canada, which can accommodate more than 1,500 people. The list of amenities at Parq Vancouver is virtually endless, but the resort’s developers hope the space will encourage guests to get out and explore the city of Vancouver as well.

“In Las Vegas, they keep everyone in a box,” said Scott Menke, CEO of development firm Paragon Gaming in an interview. “We get to show off Vancouver in its finest form. We’re so proud of Vancouver as a destination.”

In stark contrast to the dimly-lit casinos in Las Vegas, Parq Vancouver’s casino features huge exterior windows that bathe the space in natural light and make it feel more connected to the outside world.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the development of this massive new entertainment complex in Vancouver.  Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

University of Kansas Health Opens New Inpatient Care Tower

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Hospital StaffThe largest hospital in Kansas City just got bigger thanks to a $360 million expansion that was completed in late 2017. Cambridge Tower A is a cutting-edge inpatient care facility that adds 92 beds and 11 operating rooms to the University of Kansas Health System. The 11-story tower also allows the hospital’s entire oncology department to be housed under one roof for the first time.

 

“This is one of the most exciting times in my 21 years here,” said Jeff Wright, vice president of cancer services in an interview. We’ve gotten used to saying we’re at full capacity, trying to manage and discharge. This allows us to have access to health care services here to be able to expand our capacity.”

In an effort to make the new facility as functional and efficient as possible, Cambridge Tower A was designed with ongoing input from the hospital’s physicians, nurses and therapists. More than a year before construction began, hospital employees had the opportunity to tour full-size mockups of rooms in the tower and offer suggestions for improvement.

“I can’t imagine building something as important as a new hospital without engaging an integrating staff clinical expertise into the design process,” said Carol Cleek, a registered nurse and clinical sponsor of Cambridge Tower A. “They understand the patient and family needs, the workflows and the day-to-day hospital operations better than anyone.”

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the development of KU Hospital’s largest expansion to date. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

181 Fremont Is the Tallest Residential Building on the West Coast

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San Francisco SkylineAfter four years of construction, San Francisco’s newest mixed-use skyscraper has officially earned the distinction of being the tallest residential building west of the Mississippi River. It’s also home to some of the most luxurious condominiums in the country, with unit prices starting at around $3 million. Designer Orlando Diaz-Azcuy spared no expense in the development of 181 Fremont, incorporating lavish details like brass door handles that were custom forged by Parisian artists.

In addition to being a towering display of opulence, the 800-foot mixed-use skyscraper is also an impressive feat of engineering.

The building’s exterior is bound by an aluminum “exoskeleton” that was designed to absorb stress during an earthquake. Thanks to its earthquake-resistant construction, the elevator systems in 181 Fremont are even capable of operating during catastrophic seismic events.

Recently, Facebook announced that it would lease all 436,000 square feet of office space in the mixed-use tower for an estimated $35 million. This will eliminate the need for Facebook’s employees in San Francisco to commute 35 miles south to the company’s headquarters in Menlo Park. Between 2,000 and 3,000 Facebook and Instagram employees will occupy 33 of the building’s 56 floors. According to Business Insider, this deal constitutes San Francisco’s largest office lease in three years.

181 Fremont also boasts an impressive list of amenities including a library, concierge service and fitness center with a yoga room. It will be the only residential/office building in San Francisco with direct access to the new Transbay Transit Center, which will connect eight Bay Area counties with 11 different transportation systems.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the construction of this beautiful new addition to the San Francisco skyline. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield™—the original, reusable door protection system.

Viceroy Opens a New Luxury Hotel in Chicago

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Chicago Gold CoastBased in Los Angeles, the Viceroy Hotel Group operates more than a dozen hotels throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Now, the company has added yet another hotel to its portfolio in Chicago’s Gold Coast Historic District.

The Viceroy Chicago is a 180-room hotel with a whimsical atmosphere designed to “surprise and delight” its guests. Notable design features include a rooftop pool and a 30-foot-tall “poem wall” with selected passages of Marcel Proust’s work. It also offers a number of unique services such as free weekly yoga and meditation classes that are open to the public.

The hotel’s structure consists of an 18-story glass tower that rises from the original brick and terra-cotta façade of the historic Cedar Hotel. By combining these two distinct architectural styles, the Viceroy Chicago’s designers aspired to create “harmony through contrast, in which both the old and new are rich examples of their specific eras.”

In stark contrast to the Cedar Hotel’s original façade, the tower of the Viceroy is distinguished by glass windows that intersect at angles to create a folding, rippling appearance. This hybrid structure produces a striking visual effect that demands attention. Rather than seamlessly blending the old with the new, the Viceroy Chicago celebrates the disparate styles of early 20th and 21st century architecture.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the rebirth of this historic Gold Coast property. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield™—the original, reusable door protection system.

Lodge Kohler Brings Luxury Accommodations to Lambeau Field

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Lodge Kohler Brings Luxury Accommodations to Lambeau FieldThanks to Kohler Co., one of Wisconsin’s oldest and most successful businesses, Packers fans can now spend the night in an upscale hotel next time they see their team play at Lambeau Field. Located just west of the stadium in the Titletown District, Lodge Kohler is a new 144-room hotel that opened in July of 2017. The Green Bay Packers executive committee hopes the hotel will become a destination for out-of-town fans and businesspeople using Lambeau Field’s meeting rooms and banquet facilities.

Lodge Kohler includes five different guest room configurations, with nightly room rates starting at just under $200 during the week, and peaking at more than $450 on game days. Guests can choose from a number of different themed overnight packages as well, including a “Bed and Breakfast Package” and an “Explore Lambeau” package which was tailor made for Packers fans.

In addition to its luxury accommodations, the hotel is also home to the Kohler Waters Spa, which showcases many of the company’s trademark high-end plumbing fixtures.  This spa includes a steam room, sauna, Vichy shower, cool plunge pool and a “state-of-the art Hydromassage Experience Pool” which was custom designed by Kohler’s engineers. Guests can even indulge in the Green Bay Stone Massage, which is a 50-minute treatment that utilizes heated basalt stones in conjunction with traditional Swedish massage techniques. Once they’re done with their spa treatments, guests can also choose from a number of different dining options, including a fifth-floor restaurant and bar that offers panoramic views of nearby Lambeau Field.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the development of this great addition to Green Bay’s Titletown District. Stay tuned for more updates from the makers of 1-2-3 Door Shield—the original, reusable door protection system.

VCU Opens a New Hospital in South Hill, Virginia

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VCU Opens a New Hospital in South Hill, VirginiaThanks to Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), residents of Mecklenburg, Lunenburg and Brunswick Counties in southern Virginia now have access to a new state-of-the-art medical facility. Located in South Hill—about 80 miles southwest of VCU’s main campus in Richmond—the Health Community Memorial Hospital hosted its grand opening in October.

Prior to its official open date on November 11, local residents were invited to take self-guided tours of the hospital to acquaint themselves with its layout and services. The 166,700-square foot facility includes 70 private rooms, a cardiac catheterization lab and a 16-bay emergency department. It’s also equipped with a comprehensive suite of diagnostic services, including MRI scans, CT scans and nuclear medicine. The hospital is expected to be a valuable new addition to a rural region that has lacked sufficient access to this type of healthcare facility in the past.

“The facility will be a beacon of hope for all who are in need of care, and it will be an anchor for future economic development for this region,” said hospital CEO W. Scott Burnette in a statement.

Earlier this year, VCU joined the TriNetX Health Research Network as well. This partnership will allow the school and its hospitals to collaborate with other research organizations and biopharmaceutical companies from all over the world.

At Construction Protection Systems, we’re proud to have had the opportunity to play a part, however small, in the continued expansion of VCU’s healthcare services. Stay tuned for more updates from the creators of 1-2-3 Door Shield™—the original, reusable door protection system.