Urban Core
State and Fourth - Like It Used To Be
By Susan M. Berg
The corner of State and Fourth streets lies in the shadow of a grander, more vibrant downtown landscape.
Most of the historic structures that once lined the streets have been razed and replaced by dreary parking lots. But two remaining buildings on the southeast and southwest corners dating from the WWI era have been spared. They are currently being restored to their former glory in spite of the inherent challenges their aging parts and pieces present.
Both run-down structures caught the eyes of local business people who were eager for the chance to own buildings just a stone's throw from the center of town.
If anything, the short distance to the city's center enhances the view because the field of focus is broadened to include not only the State Capitol, but also the ornate flourishes of Bricker & Eckler's law office, and the sleek lines of the Riffe Tower.
A booming economy with low interest rates has made ownership of downtown digs a real possibility for small business owners, according to Samuel D. Koon, a principal, along with partner Jim Havens, in Calgary Real Estate Development. Their company was hired to find the perfect place to relocate the 20 employees of government consultants Paul Tipps and Neil Clark, now headquartered on the 36th floor of the Huntington Center. Calgary found it in a bay-windowed, limestone-façade building at 137 E. State St.
In addition to handling the acquisition, Calgary is charged with overseeing the entire renovation of the property. The combined cost of purchase plus renovation is estimated by Koon to be $2.3 million.
"They wanted their own building. It's something that 15 years from now will be all theirs," Koon said. "It's the dram of any small business owner. Now with interest rates 300 basis points below what they've historically been, it makes a lot more sense."
The Kurgis family couldn't agree more. Through their Gizmoco Ltd. family partnership, they bought the property across Fourth Street from the one purchased by Calgary for Tipps and Clark.
In addition to the main structure at 165 E. State St., the property included two fire-damaged buildings along Fourth and another structure along State. These were demolished to make room for parking and an addition.
After the renovation, the building will house Kevin Kurgis' law practice, the family partnership collection agency, and one or two lease tenants. "The location was very appealing to us," said project manager Cathy Kurgis, Kevin's wife. "And we especially liked the idea of having on-site parking."
Koon's clients wanted parking, too, and included it in the short criteria list that guided Koon and Havens during their search. But the zero lot-line building they found at 137 E. State St. simply didn't allow the luxury. That didn't deter Tipps and Clark, however, from giving them the green light to purchase the structure and move forward with its makeover.
Both the Calgary and the Kurgis properties have architectural elements that the Downtown Commission required be preserved. For instance, the original bay windows and barrel arch of the Calgary building and the lintels and parapet of the Kurgis property had to stay. The latter tacked on an additional $100,000 to the estimated $1.5 million in improvements, Kurgis said.
Since the Downtown Commission was less concerned about the interiors of each building, both sets of owners opted for completely gutting their structures and essentially erecting new buildings inside the old facades. That's where most of the real challenges were encountered.
The most daunting aspect of the Calgary renovation was figuring out a way to temporarily hold up the exterior structure while the interior framing was being rebuilt. The original clay bricks and limeless mortar used in 1918 didn't provide the kind of support that today's hard brick and cement mortars do.
A subcontractor finally came up with the idea of putting large steel I-beam columns up the support sides of each of the walls and tying them together at the roof line. "My family has been in the construction business for 40 years and none of us has ever seen anything like it," Havens said.
Another obstacle that had to be overcome in the Calgary building was its tunnel-like darkness. The long, narrow building runs 188 feel deep right up to the very edge of the property line. Fire code regulations ban windows that could presumably spread flames to an adjacent building - even though the Calgary is currently flanked on both sides by parking lots.
Just when skylights seemed to be the only answer, designed Damon Baker developed plans - which passed muster with the Downtown Commission - to cut out 15-foot by 15-foot inverted light wells (two on the lower level and another two on the second) to bring much needed natural light into the building. Now virtually every office has a view.
"I think they are the most ingenuous part of this entire project and the thing that will make it stand out from any other office in Columbus," Koon said. The owners are planning to move in by January when renovations are completed on the 15,200 square-foot building.
The Kurgis family has had it own challenges to contend with. For example, an old underground parking garage on the property had to be stripped of asbestos before it could be filled in. And the addition of a third floor has been slowed somewhat by the Downtown Commission's requirement that a parapet that extends along the original roof line be spared.
But Cathy Kurgis is confident that the time, effort and costs will ultimately be worth it. She anticipates the project being completed by next June. "This is going to be Class A office space when it's finished," she said.
Brian Wiland & Associates of Dublin is serving as architect and general contractor for the 17,000 square-foot Kurgis renovation and expansion project. Likewise, Koon said the Calgary project will be a showcase when it's completed.
"The building has character," Havens said. "It's one of the few medium-sized, signature buildings near the Capitol that still exist. Most from that era have been torn down."