So the end of Sept. is arriving and the first month of full time work at the project is nearly behind me.  Permits are pulled, Holes in floors are repaired, walls and ceilings are being prepped for drywall repair, plumbing is well underway with a new water heater is being installed today and stub outs to all the baths completed last week. 

Earlier this week I attended a meeting of City Councils budget committee to urge them to continue the forward progress on the street car (which the did vote to do) and today they will be voting to issue the bonds and actually let all the early contracts for the actual street cars and the rails.  After the meeting a reporter from Channel 9 caught me and asked a few questions.  I ended up on the 5 O'clock news that evening using a ratty sponge mop while cleaning ceilings.

Things are moving along nicely and I think I"ll be done ahead of the schedule I've set for myself.  I'm even thinking of the next project already.  I suppose I should hold my horses a bit, I've still got a long way to go on this project.  Next big ticket contracts are the electric and HVAC.  Those are two large chunks of change!

 Exterior view

Interior View

 So, the gate has been installed!  This thing is heavy duty.  Nice roundels and curlicues with a sturdy frame of 2 inch tube steel, kick-plate and push bar in the middle.  If you need a gate I've got the girl for you!  While she was there Jill even repaired two of the window security screens as well.
 
Also had my interior designer, Tyson Designs, come by early this week and work up a color scheme for the front  of the building along with layouts and colors for the for the kitchens an some great flooring options.  I was so blown away when I saw what Greta recommended that I was fairly speechless.  It's like she reading my mind.  I really want to see one of the kitchens done and the new flooring in!!

Cincinnati Developement fund iwll be reviewing our application for Funding on June 14th.  Fingers crossed that they like what we are up to.  I think I'll add Greta's design ideas to the packet so they can see what the finished product will look like.

So, Schumm and Sons Plumbing is banging away at the water lines in the front three units.  Using all CPVC to ensure they don't get stolen at some point.  One of the toilets is already up and running!  In moving cabinets to access the plumbing we found a lot of what I thought could be saved, is just junk.  Bottoms rotted out and sides water damaged.  Such is life.

Jill should be bringing the gate by this week, she says she is very happy with the look.  At 8 feet high and solid steel that thing is gonna be heavy.  For some reason the breezeway seems to be a magnet for flies, every time I've been through since spring really began there have been several buzzing around.  I'll be it's because of the Mulberry tree in the neighbors yard.  That thing is prolific!  The ground under it it nearly covered with fallen fruit.  It's become quite the rat attractant, saw at least three when I stopped by this evening.  Going to broach the subject of cutting it down with the neighbor.

My helper is beside himself at the progress made this week.  Once the water is on and the shower is repaired he'll be moving in, likely next Wednesday.  Have to get my design team to chose some decent cabinets and a sink for the bath.

This week I had the water meter reset and electric turn on. My helper will now be doing a good cleaning of all the units in the coming weeks and I will be running supply lines to the bath and kitchen of the front first floor units so he can move in, in short order. I also had a tin worker and mason out this week to give estimates for some exterior work that needs doing. I'm now considering how I will go about heating and cooling the units, should I keep the boiler or install mini-split systems in each unit??   My next job will be to get an estimate to have all the electric split out from the main meter so the tenants will be responsible for their own usage.

Can't see it very well but below is a pic o the gate I'm going to install.

I hope to turn in the CDF application this week to get the ball rolling on the cash side.

So, just by chance I spoke to the good people at Doppes Lumber and hardware and found out that one of their employees, Jill, runs her own welding shop. She makes metal gates and such. So she has drawn up an idea for my gate and I've given her my notes on it. In about three weeks she will be delivering to the building! Great stuff here - local manufacture, less than half the cost of the one I found online. Happy me.

Got to Get the Entrance Looking Nicer

So, I walked the dog up to Findlay Market today. Had a nice sandwich and bought some bacon and cheese, then did my usual stroll by of 215. I want the entrance to look better than it does now (large piece of plywood) but also want to keep it secure. I'm gonna spring for a nice iron gate that is in keeping with the style of the neighborhood. Originally it would have been a large wood door or gate, there is an inset in the breezeway where the door would open to and not reduce the size of the breezeway.

Also called Psych Masonry this week to ask for a quote to repair some missing stones at the base of the breezeway wall. One more thing, I've been thinking of doing a quick and dirty remodel on one unit just to get someone in the building so I don't end up with the city giving me a vacant building order. I'll just rerun plumbing to the kitchen and bath and install some electric baseboard heaters, clean the floors and paint the place. I have the perfect tenant in mind.

So, stopped by the building this morning cause I noticed that I'd left a window open. While doing walk through of the building I noticed a little baggie up in one of the cabinets. Turned out to be a sandwich bag full of Pot! I stuck it on my windshield while I cleaned up the sidewalk and neigbhors lot for a minute. Then, instead of just dumping it in the nearest sewer grate I took it down to the cop station at The Banks. They said they would destroy it for me but that in he future I should just do it myself (destroy it not "do it"). I'm such a dork. On another note I attended the ground breaking of the Cincinnati Street Car today. Great crowd and lots of people I've met while helping to make this a reality. Still work to do but we will see some concrete progress this spring. If we keep up the good fight we will be riding that thing by the end of 2013.