Customer Update - Syracuse Commercial Floors
Arboritec recently had the honor of being involved in an extremely exciting $265 million dollar urban redevelopment and restoration project. Through our partnership with commercial wood floor contractor Syracuse Commercial Floors, we are helping bring 130,000 square feet of wood floors “back from the brink” in the bustling Pike Block area of downtown Syracuse, NY. 130,000 square feet...That's a lot of reclaimed and restored wood floors!
VIP Structures, the architect and development arm of the project, wisely reached out to Syracuse Commercial Floors for their wood flooring expertise and ability to manage projects of this scale. Development discussions began in the summer of 2011. As a result of those discussions, Syracuse Commercial Floors has vigorously been on site since July of 2012. The project involves restoration and conversion of four historic buildings that had fallen into unfortunate disrepair. Pike Block will ultimately provide new urban living options to hundreds of Syracuse residents. In fact, if you happen to live in the area and want to "celebrate the art of city living" feel free to take a look at what's available.
The Pike Block project includes the four large historical buildings; Chamberlain, Wilson, Bond and Witherill. The Chamberlain Building was predominantly installed with Beech floors that date back to the 1850s. The Wilson Building is adorned with 23,000 square feet of Fir and Maple flooring The Bond Building, a three-story wood frame structure, was built in the 1890s. Last, the four-story, brick structure, Witherill Building, was originally designed by by architect G.P. Randall for Henry Pike in 1855.
VIP Structures architectural guidelines included limiting the environmental impact while reclaiming and restoring as much of the floors in the buildings as possible.They were happy to learn about Arboritec's line of durable, ceramic-fortified, low-VOC waterborne wood floor finishes. The Pike Block project leaders settled on the use of a sophisticated, contemporary dark stain but one that also complements the historic surroundings and unique character of the buildings. Arboritec's First Coat provides good build and sealing properties. Three coats of Classic+ gloss finish will protect the wood for many years to come and add a little sparkle to the now swanky urban flats.
Syracuse Commercial Floors was founded over two decades ago by Brian Prusik. In speaking with Mr. Prusik, he mentions "The restoration challenges of this project have been significant. Take the Bond Building for instance; it did not have much of a roof for the past ten years yet we are going to salvage the vast majority of the flooring."
This large scale residential restoration is a bit different than other projects Syracuse Commercial Floors typically manages. However, Mark Pacacha, Commercial Sales Manager with Arboritec USA, mentions that “Only a company like Syracuse Commercial Floors would be able to manage a project like this with its huge challenges.”
The capable professionals at Syracuse Commercial Floors are specialized in working on complex construction management projects. Their expert specialties include installing and sanding and finishing wood floors for major retail chain stores such as Gap Inc., Restoration Hardware, Williams Sonoma, Crate & Barrel and Ralph Lauren. Syracuse Commercial Floors ability to manage such major retail projects throughout the continental United States has undoubtedly helped them succeed in this significant business.
"Our guys really like working with Arboritec's line of finishes; they are so easy to apply” said Skip Ellerton, Custom Color Developer of Syracuse Commercial Floors. He adds “They lay down well, do not bubble, have good build and even though they dry quickly, we never seem to have an issue with lap lines."
"It is hard to express how much we appreciate the solid working relationship we have been able to establish with Syracuse Commercial Floors." said Rünno Allikivi, President and CEO of Arboritec USA. "We are so pleased to be even a small part of bringing these historic Pike Block buildings back to life in an environmentally responsible manner. We believe planet-friendly solutions should and will be a significant consideration of progressive urban construction and redevelopment projects for the foreseeable future."
Photo credits: Michelle Gabel mgabel@syracuse.com , and the Onandada Historical Association http://www.cnyhistory.org/