One of my ToDo List items as Chairman of Marshall County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) was to see a new website up and running and get MCEDC tied into some of the social media outlets. Thanks to Jennifer, Derek and Pam, this is one I can strike off my list. (The benefits of Chairing organizations is that you can direct other people to do things and then take credit for their hard work. Thanks guys!) If you haven’t visited the new website, you can do so here. It takes most of the good things from the old site and has added some functionality. Some of these originated internally and some were the result of our work with Ady Voltedge on our marketing plan.
The website has been up since the first quarter of this year. In the past month, Derek has added the social media connections. MCEDC is now posting to Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. You can go to the MCEDC home page and there are a couple of places with the connection buttons for these services. Visit the site! More clicks there help our SEO (Search Engine Optimization) ratings and that could mean the difference in attracting new business to Marshall County. If you Google it to find it, that helps even more…
Easterday Construction Co., Inc. is once again participating in Red Shirt Fridays this summer to show our support for our troops. The field crews reinstated this on their own this year. We’re happy to support them with new shirts as they need them.
The pictures herein show John Singleton and Murgurel Stephan in their red shirts at our Deborah Road remodel project. They’re installing siding as we prepare to wrap up this project. Dave Epley (not shown) was also on site in his red shirt today Thanks guys! Way to go!
Any past or current clients that would like a shirt to show your support, stop by our office and we’ll hook you up. Support the Troops!
The Grace Baptist Church in Plymouth has a traditional pulpit with a curved dais at the front of the Church. The Pastor has a lectern in the center of this and the choir has seating behind that. They contacted us because it has become an issue over the years with choir members coming down the curved steps without railings. They asked us to come up with a railing that would fit in with the existing woodwork and give choir members something to hold on to while they come down the stairs. They were most concerned with safety and aesthetics.
We came up with several options for them and provided sketches. There were different things that could be done with locations and volutes. They selected a curved rail option with newel posts at either end and decorative balusters under the railing. This was the most stable option as well as fitting well into the existing style of woodwork.
Curved railings are always challenging as the railing comes in a sliced profile (See image to the left) that must be bent and glued in the field. In this case it was further complicated by the need to bend the rail around the location where their baby grand piano sits. Also, the rail runs with a curved counter to the curve of the steps. To add one more complication, the existing planters and stairs had different dimensions on either side of the pulpit despite looking symmetrical from the sanctuary. To accommodate this we formed and bent the railing on the grand piano side first and then duplicated that curve with slight adjustments to account for the symmetry issue. The new woodwork was then stained to match. The Church is pleased with the final outcome. Pastor Matthew Elliott said, “They look so nice people do not want to even touch them! I think if you had completed them between services most parishioners wouldn’t have realized there had been a change. They look like they’ve always been there.”
Dave Epley was our carpenter for this project. We’re pleased with Dave’s work on this.
Easterday Construction Co., Inc. is once again participating in Red Shirt Fridays this summer to show our support for our troops. The field crews reinstated this on their own this year. We’re happy to support them with new shirts as they need them.
The pictures herein show John Singleton and Murgurel Stephan in their red shirts at our Deborah Road remodel project. They’re installing siding as we prepare to wrap up this project. Dave Epley (not shown) was also on site in his red shirt today Thanks guys! Way to go!
Any past or current clients that would like a shirt to show your support, stop by our office and we’ll hook you up. Support the Troops!
The Grace Baptist Church in Plymouth has a traditional pulpit with a curved dais at the front of the Church. The Pastor has a lectern in the center of this and the choir has seating behind that. They contacted us because it has become an issue over the years with choir members coming down the curved steps without railings. They asked us to come up with a railing that would fit in with the existing woodwork and give choir members something to hold on to while they come down the stairs. They were most concerned with safety and aesthetics.
We came up with several options for them and provided sketches. There were different things that could be done with locations and volutes. They selected a curved rail option with newel posts at either end and decorative balusters under the railing. This was the most stable option as well as fitting well into the existing style of woodwork.
Curved railings are always challenging as the railing comes in a sliced profile (See image to the left) that must be bent and glued in the field. In this case it was further complicated by the need to bend the rail around the location where their baby grand piano sits. Also, the rail runs with a curved counter to the curve of the steps. To add one more complication, the existing planters and stairs had different dimensions on either side of the pulpit despite looking symmetrical from the sanctuary. To accommodate this we formed and bent the railing on the grand piano side first and then duplicated that curve with slight adjustments to account for the symmetry issue. The new woodwork was then stained to match. The Church is pleased with the final outcome. Pastor Matthew Elliott said, “They look so nice people do not want to even touch them! I think if you had completed them between services most parishioners wouldn’t have realized there had been a change. They look like they’ve always been there.”
Dave Epley was our carpenter for this project. We’re pleased with Dave’s work on this.
Reading Jeff Kenney’s recent article in the Culver Citizen and The Pilot News about the new Lakehouse Grille in Culver brought to mind our involvement with the creation of its previous incarnation, The Edgewater Grille.
The Edgewater Grille was already operating successfully when the owner/chef approached us about his plans to expand. As Jeff likes to say, “for those of you that remember…” the Edgewater Grille was started in the old Bait Shop, a small white building with an orange roof sitting on the site of the former bowling alley. (At that time the adjacent Lakeview Tavern was under separate ownership.) The Edgewater Grille sign only partially covered the old sign on the roof that said “BAIT”. There were only a few tables because of the limited space, but the business was brisk.
The plan was to fill the entire site with a new restaurant, but keep the original restaurant open as long as possible in the interim. The owner had a vision of what he wanted in his head. With the help of Brent Martin, (B. A. Martin Architect, P.C.) we got that vision on paper and plans approved with the State. Part of this planning was to find a way to stage the project to keep the restaurant open. We accomplished this by phasing the project with the first phase including the restrooms, kitchen, mechanical rooms and some limited seating at the back of the site. As is etched in limestone on on the parapet, construction began in the Fall of 1999.
The structure was to be wood framed. This allowed for costs to be shifted and allow the bulk of expenditures on the kitchen and finishes. Exposed wood trusses were used to support a BMC CMR-24 roof. We showed various roof systems to the owner and explained the value of this system for the life of the building. It also allowed a low slope (1/4:12) roof pitch which maximized the interior space without requiring a height variance. BMC (Butler Manufacturing Company) has one of the best standing seam roof systems available in their MR-24 Roof. It uses a Pittsburgh double-lock standing seam with a full 360 degree seamed in place connection. The CMR-24 roof combines the MR-24 roof with rigid insulation board and liner panel to keep the interior clean. Look up the next time you’re there and you’ll notice a step in the roof. The step coincides with the transition between Phase I and Phase II of the project.
The owner wanted a facade that reflected the community. A brick was chosen that mirrored the brick used in the Vandalia Depot across the street. Even some of the details in the brickwork were duplicated in order to enhance that effect. As the facade was installed, the owner liked it enough to expand its use inside, creating a raised platform along the east wall. (It was removed during a subsequent remodel and replaced by a series of booths.) Mr. Martin proposed the tower on the corner to serve not only as an anchor to the structure, but as a metaphorical lighthouse tower since it sits at a bend in Lake Shore Drive.
With the completion of Phase I, the restaurant closed briefly to allow the relocation of some of the kitchen equipment. It quickly reopened in the new location and the old bait shop was torn down allowing the construction of Phase II to begin.
Around the time Phase II was started, the old Lakeview Tavern was purchased, renamed the Lakeview Lodge, and combined with the Edgewater Grille. This allowed for additional seating while Phase II was underway. Phase II went through several changes as construction proceeded. One of the interesting things was the creation of the fountains found on the corners of the raised dais along the west wall. These were commissioned through Susie Black of Black’s Glass in Plymouth. We then added pumps and tubing to create a pool and waterfall effect. The glass was back lit creating a glittering cascade and occasionally a rainbow effect. Unfortunately the water was hard to control and the occasional splatter made them difficult to use when the adjacent seating was occupied.
Variances were required along the way to accommodate the silver sign on the corner, the awnings and the entrance stairs and ramp. We also modified the sidewalk to create an accessible curb cut ramp. The restaurant was so popular that the Owner petitioned the Town to make changes and add a crosswalk to handle the pedestrian traffic from the parking areas across the street.
All in all we were quite proud of our involvement with this project. We felt the building fit the restaurant and the restaurant helped usher in an era of fine dining in Culver which we were pleased to be a part of.
I attended an Energizing Indiana Seminar on Tuesday in South Bend presented by the Indiana Energy Association. In our area, the partners that we work with are NIPSCO and AEP. (Marshall County REMC has programs as well, but opted out of IURC (Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission) due to what they felt were onerous reporting and oversight requirements and the associated costs.) There are quite a few incentive programs available to businesses and residential customers as well. Unlike some of the tax incentive programs such as EPAct, these programs provide checks directly from the Utility Companies which means municipalities and other tax exempt entities should be able to take advantage of them as well.
Many of these programs encourage renovations that will pay savings dividends on their own. (Green That Saves Green!) The incentives are there to give the extra kick to encourage implementing them now. I am planning on researching this further and I will include details here, but if you’re interested in pursuing this, please contact us and we can look into your specific situation now!