Friday, December 13, 2013

Charitone update: Checking it twice


The Jan. 1 occupancy date for Hotel Charitone apartments is less than a month away and work has accelerated from top to bottom of the four-story building.


That was obvious Thursday during a scheduled walk-through of apartments on the third and fourth floors for Koester Construction representatives and principals of Hotel Charitone LLC. The goal was to check every surface, open and close every door, turn all the lights off and on, test the blinds and peer into every closet, looking for flaws.


If you see blue spots in some of the photographs, they're pieces of blue tape provided for the apartment examiners: Find a flaw, stick a piece of tape on it --- and workers will resolve the issue. A walk-through for second-floor apartments will be held next week.

All of the activity above is concentrated in the kitchen of the fourth-floor south apartment, where the walk-through began. This just happened to be where I was able to catch the most people. They've gotten better at staying out of camera range as the Charitone project has progressed.


Also in the fourth-floor south apartment, here's how a bathroom looks. Shower and stacked washer and dryer are on the other side. Bathrooms in the south and southeast apartments have exterior windows; those in the other apartments, not.


This is the long hallway that connects the east bedroom in this apartment with the living, dining and kitchen areas. Entrance to the second bedroom and bath are to the left.


And here's a sample of the apartments' front doors. Some have thought these were reconditioned originals, but no original interior doors remained in the building when reconstruction began. So these look authentic to the period but are sturdily built reproductions.


All windows in the apartments have been fitted with fabric roller blinds like these (in one of the bedrooms) that are raised and lowered with continuous chains.


Most of the bedrooms have large walk-in closets, but those in the far southeast bedrooms are double-doored and shallower. Here, you can see spots of blue tape on the walls. Apparently the painter had a bad day in this room.


Here's what the kitchen area looks like in one of the three west apartments, all of which have views in three directions --- west, south and, in the northeast bedroom, east.


Windows march all along the west walls of these apartments and offer the best views of the Chariton square.


Elsewhere, the shaft is awaiting installation of the new elevator car, expected to be installed next week. Although it will be functional then, the elevator won't be used until after its examined by a state inspector on Dec. 30.


Views out apartment windows show that the new fire escape now has been connected to the structure and is fully functional.



Down on the first floor, the parking lot-level lobby has been floored and framed, but the entrance door remains to be cut through the north wall of the building. It will allow tenants private access to the elevator from the parking lot and also serve those with disabilities who wish to enter the restaurant-bar area.



Work is accelerating here, too, in anticipation of a March opening of the Hy-Vee operated hospitality venues.


That work extends into the basement, which will not be finished at this stage of the project, but will house service equipment for the bar and restaurant as well as a finished stair and elevator lobby providing restroom access (restrooms also will be installed on the first floor).


And in case you've been wondering about the front door --- it's due in any day: A custom-built replica of the current multi-light doubled door too badly damaged over the years for restoration.


1 comment:

Ed Turner said...

Thanks so much for the update. I am thrilled. A great accomplishment for a great small town.