Transforming the 50,000 SF former department store into a showcase office/entertainment complex started with Michael Stough and a structural engineer breaking into the building two nights before it was to be destroyed under an Emergency Demolition Order. The ensuing battle to rescue the building was just one of many challenges.

Award-Winning Result
The three-year, $5 million project included total restoration of the building's Beaux-Arts façade; installation of completely new mechanical, electrical and life safety systems; a new roof; stair towers; passenger and freight elevators; and the restoration of a three-story, skylit atrium. Many of the building's unique features were spared.

The finished product won awards from the local preservation association and Chamber of Commerce, was featured in national publications, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.