Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Turning an Eyesore into a Work of ‘Artistry’

Bleak, desolate, an eyesore, are just a few of the words (at least the ones we can repeat here) locals used to describe the place where the old Bank One Operations Center stood at 451 E. Market Street. After sitting empty for 20 years, the half block building has a new reputation as an attractive destination. The building provided the entire structural base for the three additional stories built on top of it; now known as Artistry, a 257-unit mixed use apartment building.

But reusing the existing structure wasn’t an easy retrofit by any means. Greg McHenry, Development Associate at Milhaus, says, “The architects faced major challenges trying to create consistent floor plans because each level presented different dimensions. However, the added work proved to be a surprising benefit. Now, each of Artistry’s floors is unique, so residents have more flexibility in the options available.”

Furthermore, the demolition phase took longer than expected because the need to be selective with teardown required more precision and care. Gregg Hendershot, VP of Milhaus Construction says, “Leaving the original structure made it difficult to run plumbing and electrical piping since we had to core through the existing concrete. All of this work had to be radar imaged and approved by a structural engineer. Then, we had to pour a 7” topping slab on the existing second floor and the old roof now serves as the base of the third floor.”

Even though reusing the steel and concrete of the structure cost significant extra time and more than a few extra headaches, the decision saved Milhaus money and added benefits in the long run. The original poured-in-place concrete is a very strong solution (strong enough to support the former armored truck deliveries) and keeping it made sense on many levels. Greg Martin, a VP of Development at Milhaus, explains, “It would have been difficult and expensive to recreate what was there. In keeping the foundation, we gained 16-foot floor heights on the first two levels, which put the additional units higher in the air. We would not have been able to recreate that for the same amount of money.”

Beyond time and money, the environmental payoff of recycling an old eyesore adds up. “I guess one of the benefits is that we did not demolish the structure and take it to a landfall,” says Hendershot. Indeed, reducing landfill debris was a requirement of Artistry’s LEED certification, a rating system established by the U.S. Green Building Council to foster sustainable building practices.

Part of the city’s deal for the development of Artistry was the inclusion of 600 designated spaces in the parking garage north of the project. McHenry says, “Having access to those spaces is a huge boon to both our development and the neighborhood because we weren’t forced to use our first floor space for parking. Instead, it can be used for restaurant, business and retail opportunities, which creates more foot traffic, daily activity and a stronger neighborhood feel. And those things play right into what we wanted to create on this side of downtown. It’s true, the Cole Noble neighborhood used to be cut off from the rest of downtown. It was a desert, but now Artistry creates a much needed link between the central business district and the growing businesses of the Cole Noble neighborhood.”