Please contact 612-254-7373 or Email [email protected] With any questions or concerns.
Thank you for visiting the blog. It is dedicated to the phase two, 2022 exterior restoration project of the East stucco elevations of the 1807 & 1811 buildings. Please visit the blog periodically for answers to frequently asked questions and project status updates. We appreciate your patience during the project.
Project Manager Justin Hamm
Cell: 612-644-5268
Important Project links “Click to view”
BLDG929586 Permit
7311-003 Cityview Co-op – Phase II_2-18-22
Cityview_Atlas Construction project (What to expect)
Marvin Windows Essential Collection Brochure
Marvin Warranty effective 2019-07-25
Mold and Formaldehyde Notice and Waiver
Statutory Warranties and Performance Guidelines
Encompass Engineering full report
Legend protocol
All dates are “Weather permitting” and are subject to change with little notice.
7/25/2022- Tomorrow around 7:30 am some electricians will be on-site to begin installing some additional lighting to the rear of the buildings as well as on the sides of 1081 and 1811. There will be a total of 10 lights installed with the wires being run through a metal conduit. Below is the light that was approved to be installed.
The sash limiters are still on back order with no update available as to when they will be delivered. As soon as I receive an update I will pass it on.
7/7/2022- The exterior and interior work has been completed! I have requested to have the container moved but due to driver shortages, it’s taking longer than normal. I’m hoping to have it hauled out of there sometime next week.
The sash limiters for the lower level homes “security stops on the windows” have been ordered but are on back order. As soon as they come in, I will schedule the service to have them installed. This process goes quickly but does require each upper sash to be removed for them to be installed. Access to the homes on the garden and first floor will be needed, one more time.
6/22/2022- The second phase of this large project is getting very close to completion! The crew is finishing up the siding on the stairwell, and caulking all of the siding transitions. The Interior work is nearly completed as well. If all goes well, the construction work will be completed by the end of the week with site clean-up and any punch list items to be completed.
Encompass was on-site today to look everything over. They said everything is looking good. They will be providing us with a punch list to be completed with most of the stuff being things we are aware of but haven’t gotten to yet. A thorough cleaning of the grounds will be completed and all extra materials will be hauled out. Fingers crossed, we may be out of your hair in time for the 4th of July. Thank you to all residents for your cooperation and patience while this very invasive project took place.
6/14/2022- Due to the extreme temps and heat advisory, the crew will not be working today. They will return tomorrow.
Some of the crew will be working on siding and some will be starting on the interior drywall repairs. This means crew members will be entering the four homes in the 1807 building, (3, 4, 9, & 10). They will be coating screw pops with joint compound and fixing the areas around the windows. This process requires multiple coats that need to dry and then sanded to a smooth finish. Please expect the crew to be in and out of your home until the repairs are completed.
6/10/2022- All of the windows on the 1807 building have been installed. The windows in the stairwell are the only windows left to install. With that said, the crews will be entering all of the units to begin the interior finish work. Please expect in and out of your home until the repairs are complete. Please note the interior repairs do not include any priming or painting of the wood or drywall.
The crew is getting all of the flashing details in place to begin siding of the wall. This building provided us with a small challenge but we have come up with and completed the solution with the help of Encompass. The brick column in the middle of the building protruded past the framing of the exterior walls. This is why there was a bulge in the stucco. In order to install the new siding, a small bump out was framed, insulated, and sheathed. This will create a slightly different look than the other buildings but there were no other options.
6/1/2022 The reconstruction of the 1807 wall is moving along well thanks to the perfect weather this week. The north side of the wall has been reconstructed, insulated, sheathed and weather barrier installed. All of the upper windows have been installed on the north side with only the garden level windows remaining. The crew is reconstructing the South section of the wall now with the subsequent work to follow.
5/25/2022- Today is obviously a rain day for the crew but they will return tomorrow and continue working on the 1807 building. They are beginning to install windows which means they will now be entering homes on an as needed basis. They have posted notices on all of the unit doors stating that. The crew will knock on the doors and announce themselves. If no one answers the door, they will knock on the door again. If no one answers they will open the door using the key provided by the Board to enter. They will announce themselves again as they enter the home. I wish there was a way to provide exact times and lengths of time they will be in the home but unfortunately, this isn’t practical. There will be multiple homes worked on at the same time for both the window installation and drywall repairs. Each process consists of multiple steps and multiple needs to access the home.
The garden level rooms on the 1807 building have the coax cables drilled and run through the window frame. This can not be installed this way as the windows won’t pass inspection and they can’t be installed per the manufactures specifications. The waterproofing flashing tape can’t be installed properly with this cable like this. The cable will be cut to complete the framing and install the windows. If cable is needed in these rooms the cable company will need to come out and re-run them. I would recommend they go through the main level wall and run the cable through the floor. Unfortunately, cable in old buildings is always an uphill battle as they need to be run on the exterior and through the wall.
5/20/2022- The 1807 reconstruction process has started. The foundation and garden level are the first steps before moving up. Next week, weather permitting we should make good progress on the wall reconstruction. This will be the third time so it should move along. The framing, insulation, sheathing, and weather barrier will be installed before we move on to the windows installation. The garden level windows may start prior to this as there are a lot of details not part of the rest of the windows. We will post notices on your door before we begin entering units.
5/13/2022- The stucco removal on the 1807 building will be completed today. There was similar damage to this wall as well. The 1811 building has a few details to finish up but will be completed next week. The reconstruction of the 1807 building will begin next week and should take about as long as the 1811 building. We will communicate more once we have a better idea of when the window installation will begin. Thanks again for your patience and enjoy the beautiful weekend.
5/12/2022- What a storm last night! The siding of the 1811 building has been installed. This means the scaffolding is moving over to the 1807 building with stucco removal starting tomorrow. We would like to enter the units to cover the windows with poly to minimize any dust from the grinding of the stucco.
There are still interior repairs to finish up inside the units of 1811. These will continue until they are finished.
5/9/2022- True to Minnesota weather, we are going from 40’s with flurries to 80’s and humid. Last week the windows were installed and the interior repairs were started. Encompass engineering completed their water test on two windows and one passed and one failed. The installation was correct at both locations but there was a minor issue with one of the weep holes. The weep holes are the two small rectangles on the bottom of either side of the double-hung windows. The test revealed that during the construction of the windows themselves, there was excess sealant in the channel water is supposed to drain. This restricted the flow of water and when put under negative pressure, water would back up. Encompass believes this is a minor issue that can be corrected by simply removing the excess sealant. Marvin is already aware of this and is sending a tech to the site to correct the issue so the window can be retested.
With all of the flashing installed, the siding installation was started on Friday and will continue this week. If the weather permits, we are expecting to complete the siding installation on Wednesday, May 11th. At that point, the scaffolding will be moved from the 1811 building to the 1807 building so the stucco removal can begin.
4/29/2022- The reconstruction of the 1811 East elevation wall has been completed. The installation of the new windows has started and will be completed shortly. Encompass will be completing a water test of the windows on Wednesday, May 4th. The interior drywall and joint compound repairs will be completed to the point of being ready for prime and paint. The finish work is not part of the scope of work and will need to be completed by the owner or others.
After Encompass completes the water test the siding of the 1811 wall will be completed. The stairwell windows and siding will be completed while we wait for Encompass.
Once the siding is installed on the 1811 building, the scaffolding will be taken down and installed at the 1807 building. As soon as this takes place, the removal of the stucco will begin. This will likely be the week of May, 9th. Another update with notice will be sent out once we have a better idea of the timing.
4/20/2022- With the rain forecasted for today, we will not be working. We are making good progress with framing repairs completed to all floors. The first two floors have been insulated and sheathed with OSB wood. We are expecting to begin installing windows next week. At that point, we will be entering the four homes in the 1811 building.
4/14/2022- we met with the city inspector today and everything looked good. We will begin insulating and sheathing the lower levels now before moving on to the top floor. Due to the heavy winds today for safety reasons we have decided to not work today.
4/13/2022- With the rain yesterday and this morning plus the chance for high winds today, we have decided to take a rain day and return tomorrow, Thursday, April 14th. The framing inspection with the city inspector is scheduled for first thing tomorrow morning. As soon as he signs off on the first few floors of work, the insulation and sheathing will be installed to close up the wall. We are moving along well at this point.
4/11/2022- Due to the high volume of people at the social security office, parking in the area has been difficult. We have had to park behind the cars in the parking lot but are more than happy to move to allow people in and out. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your patience. We are always near and can move quickly.
The first floor has been opened up and the amount of rot was similar to that of the 1801 building. We will be reconstructing the wall in the same manner as the 1801 wall. Because the rebuild scope is the same we will be able to continue on without disruption. We will be working from the bottom to the top and closing each floor before moving on to the next.
4/5/2022- The first round of stucco removal is complete and went well. The walls have been covered with plastic to help protect them from water intrusion. The 1807 building will not have the stucco removed until the construction work is completed on the 1811 building. The forecast for the rest of the week does not look good, with a chance for rain most days. Materials will be dropped off and staged for the start of the wall rebuild next week.
3/25/2022- The site has been staged with the pump jacks fastened to the building, man-lift inside the gate and ground covering. We will not be on-site next week but have scheduled the first round of stucco removal to begin Monday, April 4th at 8:00 am. We will need brief access to the four homes (3,4 9 & 10) in the 1811 building to cover the windows prior to starting the stucco removal. Please keep all windows closed due to the dust and noise associated with the stucco removal.
3/21/2022- With the warmer weather we’ve had, we will begin staging the first building weather permitting on Thursday, March 24th, and/or Friday, March 25th. We will be starting on the 1811 Eliot Ave building first. The crew and I will be off the following week for spring break. Weather permitting we will begin removing the stucco the week of April 4th. With construction to begin the following week.
The staging will consist of installing the pump jack extensions, platforms, and safety nets. We will also have the lift dropped off and placed into the courtyard. To fasten the extensions to the building, we will be removing small sections of stucco to secure the brackets to the wall. There will be some noise from hammering during this process.
3/13/2022- The building permits have been obtained for the second phase of the exterior restoration project. Weather permitting, we are planning on starting work the week of April 14th. We may begin staging the project prior to this but will not begin working on the buildings before then and will communicate all actions before they take place. The eight homes that will be directly impacted are 1807, 3, 4, 9 & 10 and 1811, 3, 4, 9 & 10.
Phase two of the project will consist of replacing the windows and stucco with LP Smartside siding on the East elevations of the 1807 & 1811 buildings. Only the 8 homes with windows on the East (Stucco) elevations will be directly impacted by workers inside your home. This phase will be similar to the work that was completed in phase one except there will not be any brickwork or windows in the brick replaced as completed on the North elevation of the 1801 building.
During the entire construction process, there will be constant noise, debris, and dust. Nail pops and stress cracks will occur during the deconstruction and reconstruction process. Drywall repairs, with seam tape, and joint compound will be made and sanded to a smooth finish. No priming or painting of the repairs are included in the work scope and will need to be completed by the owners at their expense.
For the 8 homes directly impacted, all window treatments i.e. blinds and curtains will need to be taken down in addition to moving all personal items away from the exterior wall. Please see the what to expect notice for additional details. Due to the potential reconstruction of the window openings, your current treatments may not be able to be reused and will need to be replaced at the owner’s expense.
The focus of this phase will be the removal of the stucco, replacing damaged or rotten wood framing, and constructing the wall per the Encompass engineering scope. Once the wood repairs are completed, new mineral wool insulation will be installed. New OSB sheathing and Tyvek weather barrier will be installed per manufacturer specifications.
Once the wall work is completed new Marvin Essential fiberglass framed windows will be installed. The new windows are either double-hung or casement to match the current look and will be Bronze on the interior and exterior. The glass will be Low E2 with Argon gas. These are the same windows installed in phase one.
The equipment to be used with be the same or similar to what was used on phase 1, the 1801 building.
The Siding and trim colors have been selected by the Board.
Siding Trim
There has been and will be an 8’x20′ storage container placed in the parking lot to store materials needed to complete the work. The location of the container is illustrated in the photos below.
Phase 1 was completed in 2021. Please see below for all updates.
Phase one of the exterior restoration project will consist of the brick restoration on the North elevation of 1801 as well as the restoration of the East elevation. These two elevations will also have new Marvin Essential fiberglass framed windows installed. The new windows are either double-hung or casement to match the current look and will be Bronze on the interior and exterior. The glass will be Low E2 with Argon gas.
The brick restoration will be completed by Building Restoration Corporation. They specialize in the restoration of brownstone brick buildings. This portion of the project is scheduled to begin around the first of May. These repairs will have less impact on the interior of the homes but will create dust, lots of noise, and views from these windows will be blocked or obstructed. Window coverings should remain closed for your personal privacy. The sidewalk will be obstructed with scaffolding so please avoid this area as best as possible. This elevation is marked in yellow in the above photo. Please click on the 1801 North brick location and scope for additional information.
A separate crew will be tasked with the East elevation as well as the window installations on these two facades. This portion of the project will impact the owners significantly. A dust barrier will be placed along the walls that will be worked on. The East elevation will be stripped of the stucco and exterior sheathing. Select replacement and/or adding of wood framing will be completed to the areas impacted by the prolonged water intrusion. New batt insulation and gypsum exterior sheathing will be installed after all of the framing repairs are complete. The new weather barrier and windows will be installed followed by the new LP Smartside lap siding. Isolated nail/screw head pops on the interior drywall will occur from the framing repairs but will be repaired with the window installation but no priming or painting will be completed as part of the project scope.
8/17/2021- Phase 1 is nearly completed! All of the interior repairs have been completed to the point of paint per the work scope. We installed the required CO2 and smoke detectors and I’ve sent the report to the city inspector. BRC delivered the lift to install the metal cap flashing along the North wall. Once this is complete, phase 1 will be done except for the lower level window in the stairwell that was missed by Marven when they were out to measure everything up. This window is on order but is still a few weeks out. We have everything in place to replace this window as soon as it’s received.
Today, the awning and light were installed over the rear-entry door. The window control devices were installed to all of the first-floor unit windows. We have left a pile of equipment and materials in the courtyard that will be used as soon as we start on the next building.
8/16/2021- The pump jacks were taken down and the fence along the North elevation was put back in place. We are still working on interior repairs around the new windows but they are coming along and will be completed in the next few days. BRC will be on-site tomorrow with a lift to work on the metal cap flashing along the North wall.
Tomorrow, the ABC millworks service team will be on-site to install a window opening control device to all of the double-hung windows on the 1st level. They will remove the sashes from the inside, install the devices and reinstall the sashes. This will only impact units 1, 3, 5, and 4/6 for a short period.
To close out the permits the required CO2 and smoke detectors were purchased and will be installed. I will take pictures of them and submit them to the city inspector.
8/13/2021- We’re on the home stretch now! This siding has been installed with only caulking of the windows left. The siding crew will be on-site tomorrow Saturday, August 14th to caulk and take down the pump jacks.
All of the windows have now been installed. The interior work is moving along as well. The interior work should be completed by mid-next week.
Now that the windows are installed, BRC will need to return and install the metal cap flashing on the brick wall. They are trying to schedule a lift for next week to install this metal. That will conclude their portion of the project. I will provide notice as soon as I have the date the lift will be delivered.
The last thing we need to do is make sure all of the homes we have worked in have the required CO2 and smoke detectors. Once this is done, I will be able to have the permit signed off on by the city of Minneapolis.
8/9/2021- The siding crew started today! They like to work until 7:00 pm but will get it done in around three days. They start by installing all of the trim pieces around the windows, corners, and bottom. Once the trim is installed, they will begin installing the lap siding. Once the siding is installed, the building will look new!
There are 9 windows left to install on the North elevation! There is still a few day’s worths of work on the interiors after they are installed but there is light at the end of the tunnel. We have 4 more windows to install in unit 9 and will then be moving the lift to tackle the windows in units 1 & 7. If all goes well, we should be onto these units on Wednesday, August 11th.
8/4/2021- On Friday, August 6th, the siding for the East elevation will be delivered and the siding crew is scheduled to begin Monday morning, August 9th.
Two of the members of the carpentry crew are going to be out of town on Friday. Instead of working short-handed. We will not be completing any work on the windows. We will return on Monday and continue working on units 3 and 9. I’m estimating we will be moving on to units 1 & 7 on or around Wednesday, August 11th to begin the window removal and replacement.
We currently have two guys working on the interior drywall repairs around the windows. As a reminder, the work scope for the project does not include priming and painting of the repaired/replaced interior finishes. We will get it sanded and ready for primer/paint. This was stated at the beginning of the process as part of the first communication and blog update.
The interior repairs are again, a very slow and detailed process and require lots of adjustments, new drywall, and multiple coats of joint compound before it’s ready to sand. Each coat needs to dry before the next coat can be applied. This means there will be a need to enter the units multiple times after the windows are installed.
Because the new windows are sized to fit the brick openings the interior opening needs to be adjusted to accommodate the difference in window sizes. The windows we’re removing were inserted into the original window frames. Insert style windows are smaller because of this and this is why we need to make the adjustments.
7/30/2021- This week was not a productive as we would have liked but we did get a plan in place for the brick facade windows. Unfortunately, the window installation is comprised of a number of steps which is time-consuming and very detailed. We will get faster as we complete more but it’s far from a standard window install. There are two separate 2×4 walls that we need to try and align as well as the brick opening. The finishing of the interior is a very intricate process as well. Now that we have an engineer-approved process in place, we should slowly make our way through these windows. Again thank you for your patience.
7/27/2021- Due to the heat advisory tomorrow, we have decided to call off work tomorrow for safety reasons.
The windows have proven to be a very slow and tedious process and is not moving as fast as planned. This is especially true for the garden-level windows as well as the brick side. The windows on the brick side, when replaced during the original remodel, were replaced with insert-style units. This type of window utilizes the old frame which has now rotted and is no longer able to hold fasteners. Because of this, we need to rebuild each and every window rough opening before we can install the new windows. This was not something that could have been known until we tore apart one of these windows. We really appreciate your patience during the long construction process and hope you understand there is a lot of on-site engineering and fabrication needed when trying to mesh old construction with new building materials.
7/21/2021- Because the windows are the most likely point for moisture to enter the building envelope we are working with the engineer, Marvin windows, and DuPont regional reps to make sure everything is done to the engineers’ specs as well as the manufactures required installation guidelines. This will ensure all warranties are valid and will provide the best installation process. We installed a few windows and had all three parties inspect before proceeding. We now have an approved process for all of the windows installed on the East elevation except the windows on the garden level. We will move forward with these window installations but will be working with the engineer to install the garden level windows in units 4 & 5 as well as the North elevation windows installed on the brick facade. This has slowed our progress but will ensure the final product will be the best. We will be focusing on the upper East elevation windows for the rest of this week and have the engineer, Mike Mcintire scheduled to be on-site Monday, July 26th to go over the garden level windows as well as the “brick” North windows.
7/19/2021- Last week we made great progress as we were able to rebuild the wall, insulate, install sheathing, and the house wrap moisture barrier. The crew will finish up the 3rd floor today and will begin working on the windows. This means we will be entering the homes as needed to install the windows. We will need to have as much space as possible cleared from the wall to set up our workspace. We will be focusing on the East elevation windows first so we can get the siding installed. As soon as all of the East windows are installed, we will begin on the North elevation windows.
7/14/2021- Due to the threat of rain and storms today we will not be on-site today but will return tomorrow.
7/13/2021- We are starting to make some visible progress! After dozens of straps, hundreds of clips, and thousands of fasteners, the crew was able to begin insulating and sheathing the wall. The house wrap moisture barrier was installed over the old windows and will be cut out as the new windows get installed. The weather tomorrow looks to be rainy so there may not be any work tomorrow. It’s looking like the windows will start to be installed next week.
After the insulation was removed, we discovered another issue with the remodel to unit 6. The plastic vapor barrier was removed and not replaced prior to installing the drywall. When the inspector was on-site last week he noticed this and required us to install a proper vapor barrier by installing a foil-faced foam insulation board and seal around the perimeter prior to installing the mineral wool insulation.
7/8/2021- After a rain delay on Tuesday, we are up and running. Mike Mcintire was on-site yesterday to go over the garden level wall and how it’s fastened to the limestone foundation. We have started the process of cutting in the continuous horizontal double plate as required by the wall rebuild scope. Unfortunately, this process requires the use of a reciprocal saw. These saws create a lot of vibration so please remove any valuables from your wall. We have the city inspector scheduled to visit the site tomorrow morning around 10:00 and Mike will be stopping by later in the day. Once we get the okay from them we will install the insulation and sheathing and move onto the next floor.
7/6/2021- We unloaded all of the structural lumber today. We looked at the radar and decided to not remove the weather barrier. We will return tomorrow morning at 7:00 am to begin working.
7/2/2021- We are ready to restart the construction of the 1801 East wall per the approved engineers’ scope. The crew will return Tuesday, July 6th, and will continue until it’s completed. We will begin on the garden level and first floor and will continue upward accordingly. As previously mentioned, We will need access inside the units to install the new windows on an as-needed basis. We will install a vapor barrier along the wall per the Legend Technical protocol to create our workspace. We look forward to getting back to work and completing the restoration work. Happy 4th of July.
6/24/2021- Yesterday we applied expanding foam around the windows on the North elevation that had the brick removed and reinstalled. Removing the brick required removing the sealants. We put the foam there to temporarily prevent water from entering the building envelope. If water still finds a way in, we will need to cover them with poly, which we are trying to avoid.
The carpentry crew is scheduled to return Tuesday, July 6th. We will have the materials by then and have the scope and permit from the city so we’re ready to go!
The only thing left to be completed as part of the brickwork is the custom bent metal cap flashing on the roof parapet wall. This is expected to be ready for install in a few weeks.
6/16/2021- The brick crew is finishing up this week. They are cleaning/washing the new brick and stone. Once the cleaning is completed, they will begin removing the scaffolding, barricades, and fencing around the work area. Weather permitting, they should have everything wrapped up by the end of the week.
The carpentry crew is still waiting on materials and is working on finishing up another project. The materials are still expected to be available first part of July. As soon as they finish the project they are on, they will be back on-site. We are planning on being back on site after the fourth of July weekend.
6/10/2021- What a streak of hot weather! The brick crew is still progressing well with only the very top few rows left to complete. They are planning on starting the steam washing of the brick tomorrow and will likely be finished by the end of next week. Once they are done, you can install your AC’s in the windows until they are replaced. Today the crew needed to plug in their lift to charge the battery. They have a cord running into the 1801 building through the back door. They asked if the cord could be left plugged in until 6 or 7:00 pm this evening to allow the battery to charge. I have asked Julia to unplug the cord and close the door at this time.
6/2/2021- With the city issuing the permit for the 1801 East elevation wall rebuild, the approved materials have been ordered. Due to the country-wide issue with the supply chains, we have been given an estimated delivery date of the week of June 28th. Given the carpentry crew is dependent on the materials being available, we have tentatively scheduled them to return to the site the week after the 4th of July. I’m sorry for the delay with this but it’s out of our control and something all construction companies are dealing with. Thank you very much for your patience during this long process. The brickwork is moving along and will likely finish up around the time the carpentry crew is returning.
5/27/2021- I received approval for the secondary permit to rebuild the 1801 East elevation wall. We have placed the order for the approved materials. I have added the permit to the important project links above. As soon as I get an ETA on the materials, I will provide the information to the community. Work will resume as soon as the materials are available.
On Tuesday, May 25th. the windows for the remaining homes on the 1801 North elevation and the East elevations of 1807 & 1811 were delivered. We placed the single unit windows for the 07-11 buildings in the back of the community. Due to the size and tight turns in the basement, we had to put the larger windows inside the storage container.
The brick crew has completed the tuckpointing to the West side of the North elevation and has started restacking the bricks on the East side of the wall.
5/21/2021- We are making progress with the city but they are requiring a secondary permit be pulled based on the rebuild scope. I submitted the permit application, plans, and letter from the architect to the city plan review yesterday. As soon as I get notified that the permit has been approved, we will order the materials. This has been quite the process but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I have added the plans and letter to the import project links above for anyone who would like to view them.
Due to the rain this week, the brickwork has slowed but they’re still moving along well. The rest of the windows for the North elevation of 1801 and the East elevations of 1807-11 will be delivered on Tuesday. We will be putting the windows for the 1807-11 buildings in the community room. We will keep them towards the back of the room to leave as much room as possible for the residents.
5/13/2021-The masons are on track to be completed with the masonry work around June 11. That includes the repointing of the remaining wall area, stone stabilization at the base, and laying up the new coursing in the demo area. The bricklaying should start on May 24th if all goes as planned.
The plans for the 1801 East elevation have been submitted to the city inspector for plan review. Once we get the approval from Minneapolis we will order all of the approved materials. I will also post the plans to the website as soon as they are approved.
5/7/2021- The progress on the East elevation is slow and steady. We have been working with Encompass to create the scope to be presented to the city inspector so the work can restart. We have been looking for lumber and sheathing that will accommodate the calculations made by the engineers. We believe we have identified the appropriate materials and an initial email detailing the plan has been sent to the Minneapolis inspector. He has requested a drawing for review before he will allow us to continue. As soon as we get his go-ahead, we will order materials. Unfortunately, the lead time on materials is 3-4 weeks and we can’t order them until we get approval from the city.
On a better note, the North elevation brickwork is moving along very well. All of the bricks in the bowed area have been dismantled and taken off-site to be cleaned for reuse. They are now working on mortar removal on the rest of the wall where new tuckpointing will be completed. The condition of the North wall was quite good and only select areas of sheathing needed to be replaced before installing the weather barrier. There was no structural damage observed to the framing lumber. This means the progress on this elevation can continue without delay. They are expecting the tuckpointing and brick installation to continue until mid to late June.
5/4/2021- While we wait on the green light to move forward with the East elevation, I wanted to share some optimistic news. The brick crew has removed the first bit of bricks and the condition of the wall is promising. Due to the air gap between the wood wall sheathing and the brick, any moisture that gets into this area is less likely to cause the same rot as the stucco elevation. We are still expecting some moisture to be present underneath the windows, but given what we’ve seen so far, the need for major reconstruction seems less likely.
4/30/2021- The masonry crew has set up their scaffolding and staged the work area. As part of the safety for the scaffolding, heavy counterweights were placed on the patio between 1081 & 1807. A cable was run from the weights over the roof and connected to the scaffolding. They are doing some work to the top of the limestone foundation on the East elevation and will begin demoing the brick on Monday.
4/28/2021- The masonry crew is on-site erecting scaffolding and staging the North Elevation. They will not be completing any brick demo until tomorrow at the earliest but more than likely on Friday. They will begin on the NorthEast top corner of the building. If you are on the North elevation, please keep your blinds closed for privacy. Once the bricks are removed, we can assess the condition of the wall.
As part of the demo process, I had to disconnect the power to the floodlight on the North elevation which also feeds the pole lights near the Cityview sign in front of the 1801 building. These lights will be down until the brickwork is completed.
4/23/2021- The site visits with the Engineer and testing agent were completed. The engineer was able to get his measurements to confirm the plans are accurate enough to be used to prepare the wall rebuild scope. Once more information is available, it will be passed on.
The testing agent will be putting a protocol for the crew to follow while completing the rebuild scope. She did not have any major concerns and the protocol is very close to what we had planned on doing from the beginning. Hopefully, we will have additional information to share at Tuesday’s meeting.
As you can see, the city has posted no parking signs on E 18th St, starting on Monday, April 26th. If you have any vehicles on the street, please have them moved outside of the posted area. BRC will begin staging the North elevation on Monday.
4/21/2021- With the Board approval to move forward with Encompass and Legend Technical Group. I have scheduled meetings with Both companies to keep the process moving. After reviewing all of the available construction documents provided by Cityview, Encompass will be on-site tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 pm, Thursday, April 22nd. They will need brief access to the four homes in 1801 of the East elevation (4, 5, 11 & 12). They will take a few quick measurements to confirm the documents are accurate and fill in any missing information.
The following day, Friday, April, 23rd, I will be meeting with Legend Technical Group to provide access to the exterior of the wall so they can complete the required testing. They may look inside one of the homes for reference but the majority of the actions will be completed from the exterior.
As a safety precaution, an obstruction permit to close the sidewalk along the North brick elevation of 1801 has been obtained. On Monday, April 26th BRC will have a crew on-site that will be fencing off their work area. This will prevent people from walking on this sidewalk given the instability of the brick.
Hopefully, by the meeting on the 27th, the results from Legend and information/calculations from Encompass will be available to move the project along.
4/15/2021- A meeting with the Board and the engineer, Mike Mcintire took place Tuesday evening. An email from the Board will be or has been sent out with a recording of the meeting for you to view. At the meeting, the Board approved moving forward with the required field engineering. Encompass will provide a wall rebuild scope with calculations that will alleviate the concerns of the city inspector. This process will consist of a review of all building plans and previous construction documents as well as site visits. This will require access to at least the four homes, 4, 5, 11 & 12 on the East elevation of 1801. I will provide notice and if needed access via the keys provided by the Board. Once we have this scope, the work will continue. The estimated time for this process is two to three.
In addition to this, the engineer recommended the community/Board contact and hire an independent testing firm to test for organic growth. This recommendation was based on the observation of moisture entering the building envelope creating the potential conditions for this matter to form. The community will have Legend Techincal services complete the testing. They are also equipped to provide a protocol to address any potential organic growth. Either Atlas or a separate abatement company will follow the protocol from Legend. This is being done to ensure the safety of the residents of Cityview as well as documentation for resale disclosures.
Both of these actions are separate from Atlas and are between the Coop and respective companies. Atlas is simply the contractor that will provide support and complete the wall reconstruction. Depending on the protocol, Atlas may be able to complete some or all of the steps. Long story longer, the first decisions have been made by the Board and the next following weeks will determine the next steps. As information becomes available, updates from myself or the Board will be provided. I will have the construction crew on-site next Monday or Tuesday to install temporary bracing and clean up the site.
4/9/2021- We met with the Encompass engineer, Mike Mcintire today. He explained the concerns the city inspector has and the need for him to get involved to keep the project moving. The engineer will be providing me with his opinions and recommendation on how/what is needed to move forward. I will be passing this along to the Board so they can make a decision. Once all decisions are made, we can proceed with the work. With that said, we can not continue with the work until we have all of the information from the engineer and the Board has approved the plan. This is a bump in the road but is not a roadblock.
4/7-8/2021- I met with the Minneapolis inspector today and he was concerned with the amount of rot he saw. He has requested the Encompass engineer, Mike Mcintire provide us with direction on how to proceed with the wood framing repairs. He will be on-site Friday, April 9th at 10:30. Given there is a good chance of more rain tomorrow and us needing to work with the engineer, we will not be on-site tomorrow. We will be back on-site Friday to resume work. I will provide an update on Friday after meeting with the engineer.
4/7/2021- Yesterday we started to complete the framing repairs. They will be slow and steady. I will be meeting with the inspector today but due to the threat of rain all day we will not be uncovering the building to complete any work. Today will be a rain day.
4/5/2021- Today the wood sheathing was removed up to the second floor. Upon removal of the sheathing, we discovered the wall is ballon framed. This means the wall studs are longer and cover more than a single floor. Due to the amount of rot and ballon framed walls, we will need access to the four units 4, 5, 11, & 12 as needed to rebuild the wall and window opening. We will begin working on the wood framing repairs Tomorrow. The city inspector will be on-site Wednesday morning as that was the soonest the inspector was available after I contacted him Thursday, April 1st.
4/2/2021- The first few days of the project have gone well. We got the site staged, the stucco removed and a moisture barrier put in place. The rebuild process will be a slow and steady approach as there is a significant amount of rot. The outside corners and underneath the windows are in the worst shape. This was expected and supports the Encompass engineers report.
The carpentry crew will be back on-site Monday with more materials to be delivered as well. New framing lumber and gypsum exterior sheathing will be used to restore the east elevation. We will also discuss the window installation and get a plan in place so we can properly notify the residents.
3/30/2021- Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 31st. is day one of the 1801 East elevation portion of the project. Tomorrow we will begin with staging the community by having the storage container and man lift delivered. We will also be installing the pump-jack scaffold system as previously mentioned.
The demo crew will be on-site the following day, Thursday, April 1st. ALL HOMES IN THE 1801 BUILDING WITH WINDOWS FACING EAST WILL WANT TO HAVE ALL ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE WALL. The demo process will consist of hammering and grinding of the stucco. This will create vibrations that will cause items on the wall to shift or fall. Atlas will not be responsible for items not removed from the walls. In addition to the vibration, the grinding of the stucco will create a significant amount of dust. Please make sure all windows and storm windows are closed to avoid dust entering your home.
3/18/2021- The city building permit has been issued and the first step in the project is scheduled to begin on Wednesday, March 31st, weather permitting. We will begin staging the site to start the removal of the stucco on the East elevation of 1801. This will include the delivery of a Scissor lift and the setup of the pump jack system.
The removal and disposal of the stucco will begin the following day, Thursday, April 1st, and will continue into Friday if needed. The carpentry crew will be on-site Monday morning, April 5th to begin the restoration process and will continue until completion.