The Fournet Building in downtown Crookston continues to get closer to the end of a major project that gutted and is reshaping the interior of the building that was built in 1885.
The moderate weather this winter helped with the project, and Developer Jeff Evers said they’re even getting some outdoor painting done this week. “We took advantage of the nice weather and wanted to clear up some of the structural posts that were dark brown or other colors,” said Evers. “I just chose the color of the (upper) windows for now. We may change that, but at least it cleans it up. The steel columns actually have to be painted quite a bit because they are structural. Now, when it’s cooler, we’ll back inside and do some work there.”
The exposed brick getting painted at ground level encases the building’s structural support. Evers said when they demolished the old storefronts, they were actually taking several different storefronts off the building that had been layered over the brick. “When we demoed the storefronts, basically the whole front of the building, there was a couple of layers from 30 years, 50 years ago, and even before that,” said Evers. “These columns were buried back in there, and now you can see them between the glass. They have a lot of nice detail to them. We have to maintain them because they are a structural piece to the building, so the (brick) can’t be salted in the winter and whatever. On the corner and main lobby, we made a kind of vestibule-type deal with the class going up 16 feet in both spots. It’s a neat look and will be lit up once we get to that point.”
On the interior, work has also picked up as much of the second floor has already had drywall put up. “We’ve done some roof work and a lot of different things,” said Evers. “Drywall is going up. There is a lot of drywall. I got 600-some sheets of drywall, 4 x 12- foot sheets. I think probably 500 sheets are already up. Electricians are working. A lot of furnaces and HVAC systems are going in. I think there are 12 HVAC systems. The second floor is really coming along, and on the third floor, we’re starting to move some people up there to finish things up so it can be ready for drywall up there soon too.”
Once the drywall is up, Evers said they’ll move onto other final touches. “They’ll mud, and we’ll get it painted,” said Evers. “We’ll do the drop ceiling, a little carpet, and a little bit of doors. Well, a lot of bit of doors. Get all the trim and stuff in. That’s the easy, fun part. Getting to that point has been a long process. We’ve got a lot to get done this spring now.”
The new skylight also had a delivery date for Mid-May. “The skylight is scheduled for May 17 to get here,” said Evers. “And will be done by June 1 unless there is some delay. We basically removed the roof around the skylight, so we’re going to put insulation on the roof, quite a bit of insulation. Nine inches, so the roof will be pretty good as far as insulation and be all new.”
Once the new skylight is in place and sealed with the new roof, the building should ready to host tenants, which Evers anticipates will be sometime in June.
