There was a lot of rubbernecking at the corner of 39th and Vincent Avenue S. last summer. There, perched high on stilt-like supports, sat the second floor of a quaint cottage-style house. Below it, instead of a main floor, was nothing but air.

We got a lot of gawkers driving by, said Jeff Nicholson, owner of Quartersawn, the contractor who oversaw the unusual remodeling project.

Wed see pictures of our house on Facebook and we didnt put them up, said homeowner Peter Ihrig.

The makeover didnt start out so extreme.

Ihrig bought the southwest Minneapolis house in 2013 intending to make modest changes, he said.

We liked the location that was most important, said Starla, his wife since July. The house was just two blocks from Lake Calhoun and conveniently located on a bus line. I work downtown, and I have door-to-door bus service, Peter said.

The house itself was not their dream home. Built as a small cottage in 1913, it had undergone many modifications over the years, including the addition of a second floor in 1994.

It was very segmented, said Peter. We wanted to open it up. To do that, the Ihrigs intended to relocate the basement stairway, which was too narrow to allow carrying a laundry basket, and so low that Peter often hit his head on the ceiling.

But when Quartersawn started excavating, they found a surprise. There were no frost footings under a one-room addition dating back to 1991.

This presented a problem and an opportunity.

Continued here:
Reinventing home: A lofty makeover

Remodeling of the former U.S. post office in downtown Reno is nearly complete and locals will be given the opportunity to see the progress that's been made.

Since ownership of the old post office changed in 2012, the building has been re-purposed as a retail and business work place in the center of downtown Reno.

Bernie Carter, project manager, says they are 95% done with remodeling and they are now entering into the phase where they prepare for tenants.

Right now we've done all of the tear down, we've done the cleaning, we've put the atrium back in, we've put operable windows back in, the skylight's back, we've prepared the building for tenants, says Carter.

Bernie Carter is the developer who initially bought the old post office because he didn't want the city to tear it down and build something new.

He wanted to preserve the local history; including the building's interior and exterior design. He also wants the re-imagined structure to make a bigger impact to the downtown economy.

The building has also been rehabilitated differently for each floor. The second and third floors will be used for tenants to rent out office spaces. For the first year the main floor will be held for special events, including weddings. After that, the goal is to make it one of downtown's premier retail locations. Finally, the basement is being renewed as a marketplace.

With so many additions in store, developer Debbie Day says she is excited to see a place that was once used for collecting mail or buying stamps to become something much greater.

Now there's an opportunity to come in and step back and go wow, look at what we've got here and I think the concept to rehabilitate it back to what it was is phenomenal and we really have a treasure here, says Day.

On Sunday the building will be open to the public from 10 a.m. until p.m.

Read more here:
Re-Purposed Post Office Aims to Help Downtown Economy

Basement Remodeling Castle Rock - Best Basement Remodeling Castle Rock Co. 303.565.0557
http://www.missionbasements.com Basement Remodeling Castle Rock - Basement Remodeling Castle Rock Co. Call Us Today : 303.565.0557 For the finest in basement remodeling Castle Rock , At ...

By: Mission Basements

Continue reading here:
Basement Remodeling Castle Rock - Best Basement Remodeling Castle Rock Co. 303.565.0557 - Video

CLARE (AP) Having grown up in Clare, Amy Shindorf knows about the luck of the Irish. She also believes that every small Irish community should have a brewpub.

Shindorf believes in living life with luck, and she has a vision of what should be included in downtown Clare.

Shindorf and brewmaster Brad Bellinger are in the process of bringing a brewpub to the Gateway to the North, the Morning Sun reports.

Located in a century-old building at 412 N. McEwan St., Four Leaf Brewing named for the lucky four-leaf clover in the Irish tradition will offer 12 craft brews on tap, including six regulars and six seasonal and experimental beers.

Shindorf and Bellinger, who have been friends for years, were at the building recently looking over how the renovation is going and discussing what they see in the business, which they hope will be open this spring.

Or, as Bellinger said, in time for people to start their northern adventures.

Although Four Leaf Brewing wont be a classic Irish brewpub, it will feature stout and Irish ale.

Shindorf said renovations are about three-fourths finished on the custom brew house.

Shindorf, a former manager at Isabella County Recycling who is still passionate about being green, said that being friends with Bellinger over the years has been a learning experience because of his expertise in beer brewing.

Wanting to be her own boss and stand behind a product she believes in prompted Shindorf to go into the beer business with Bellinger.

Read the original:
Friends work to open brewpub in downtown Clare

How long does it take to finish a basement?
When planned right, a basement or remodeling project can be done in just a few weeks, but the planning part is critical to a successful project. Learn the el...

By: Blue Sky Remodeling

Read more from the original source:
How long does it take to finish a basement? - Video

Basement Remodeling - Livonia, MI - (734) 9539465
Livonia, MI Basement Remodeling: http://www.PachotaConstruction.com Thinking about finishing your basement? Whether you #39;d like to completely remodel or simply renovate the existing layout, hiring...

By: Pachota Construction, LLC

Link:
Basement Remodeling - Livonia, MI - (734) 9539465 - Video

Tammy and Melody Fletcher take old pieces of furniture and make them new again, and theyve found the perfect place for their shop, For the Funk of It, in downtown Billings.

The Billings couple are artists and veterans of auctions and estate sales, hunting through forgotten items that could become treasures in their new shop at 2702 Minnesota Ave.

With upholstery and creativity, they can flip discarded $10 dining room chairs for more than a hundred dollars. An old bicycle could be a fountain just replace the seat with a basin and run a water line past the spokes to create a funky conversation piece for the home.

We like to introduce a lot of colors into peoples homes and make it fun, said Tammy.

The Fletchers opened For the Funk of It in February, the newest business to pop up on one of Billings oldest streets. They have big plans to boost foot traffic, like parking their Flaming Ladies food truck out front during warm weather and holding a street fair, and they want to honor their neighborhoods history. Minnesota Avenue dates back to the founding of Billings and was once a bustling, raucous cultural center.

In recent years, Minnesota has been plagued by vacancies and blight, and improvement efforts have stalled. The city designated the area as an historic district in 2009, but business owners say they need more help to continue redevelopment of the streets core and reclaim its status as a Billings destination point.

There certainly is some unrealized potential there that were trying to realize, said Randy Hafer, owner of High Plains Architects at 2720 Minnesota Ave. and a major driver of the streets redevelopment in recent years.

If Montana Avenue is the golden child of downtown Billings, then Minnesota Avenue is its spunky stepsister. The two

streets were named after the Montana & Minnesota Land Co., which oversaw Billings first developments in the 1880s along the rail lines.

Montana runs along the north side of the railroad tracks, with Minnesota running along the south side. Minnesota starts at the Montana Rail Link building on its west end, runs for about a dozen blocks through the center of town, then curves under the tracks at the Phillips66 refinery and spills into North 13th Street.

View original post here:
Minnesota Avenue: Businesses work to build street with rich legacy into a destination

CKH Industries~ 1-800-210-6901 Basement Remodeling in Albany, NY
Are you concerned because of mold and Mildew in your basement. Listen to what our new customer has to say.. Looking for a reliable basement contractor who ca...

By: CKH Industries (800) 210-6901

See the article here:
CKH Industries~ 1-800-210-6901 Basement Remodeling in Albany, NY - Video

Photo by: Bradley Leeb/The News-Gazette

Jessica Sempek and Scott Stewart are founders of Hospice Hearts Sanctuary. Sempek is now working on opening a Rantoul shelter for special-needs animals. Sempek's latest effort will be to help bring an animal shelter to Rantoul. She's a board member with Catsnap, which will own the facility.

RANTOUL A central Illinois animal rescue organization will open a shelter for special-needs animals this year in Rantoul.

Catsnap will open the facility, which will provide veterinary services for animals owned by low-income people.

Jessica Sempek, a Catsnap board member, said the shelter will be opened at 318 S. Garrard St. Remodeling of the facility, which formerly housed an orthodontist's office, is ongoing.

"We initially thought of a property in Rantoul because of how affordable commercial real estate is," Sempek said.

Sempek said the "ambitious" goal would be to be open by the summer, but the "more realistic" goal would be the fall.

A core of 10-15 volunteers is helping with the planning and other work. Residents of Rantoul's Jesus is the Way Prison Ministry will be doing some of the heavy lifting, including pulling up carpet and other tasks.

The 3,200-square-foot facility will serve cats and dogs. About 1,200 square feet of shelter space will be available.

Sempek said Catsnap intends for the facility to be cage-free for sheltering. There will be community cat rooms in the basement that closely resemble a home environment.

Follow this link:
Animal rescue organization to open facility in Rantoul

Check out weekend events provided by: the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau and Des Moines Area Sports Commission.

Event: Iowa High School Boys State Basketball Tournament Date: Thursday, March 12 Saturday, March 14 Time: 10:30 a.m. 8:15 p.m. Thu; 10 a.m. 8:05 p.m. F; Noon 8:05 p.m. Sat Location: Wells Fargo Arena Admission: $10 Description: Catch the best boys hoops action on the hardwood as the top teams in Iowa meet at The Well! Root for your favorite teams as they face competition from all corners of the state!

Event: Black Maria Film Festival Date: Thursday, March 12 & Sunday, March 15 Time: 6:30 p.m. Thu; 1:30 p.m. Sun Location: Des Moines Art Center Admission: Free Description: The Art Center continues to bring cutting-edge, independent films to the region by hosting the Black Maria International Film and Video Festival. The annual festival draws hundreds of entries from around the world in the categories of documentary, experimental, animation and narrative works. Fifty award-winning films are named and included in the Festivals annual tour which travels to more than 60 host institutions across the country and abroad. The films are selected with an adult audience in mind; the films on Thursday and Sunday are uniqueno film is shown twice! Reservations suggested.

Event: Smart Talk Lisa Myers Date: Thursday, March 12 Time: 7 p.m. Location: Hoyt Sherman Place Admission: Starting at $64 Description: Catch Emmy award-winning journalist Lisa Myers as she delivers her lecture Politics and Women: Why Should We Care? As a Senior Investigative Correspondent for NBC News, Myers is responsible for a number of groundbreaking reports, including pieces on the financial meltdown and Obamacare.

Event: Reverend Horton Heat Date: Thursday, March 12 Time: Doors 7 p.m.; Show 8 p.m. Location: Woolys Admission: $18-$20 Description: The Church of Rock is in session when Reverend Horton Heat rolls through Woolys! This is a transformative experience. Flames come off the guitars. Heat singes your skin. Theres nothing like the primal tribal rock & roll transfiguration of a Reverend Horton Heat show!

Event: Murder for Two Date: Thursday, March 12 Sunday, March 15 Time: Thu - F 7:30 p.m.; Sat 5 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Sun 3 p.m. Location: The Temple For Performing Arts Admission: $26 - $40 Description: Check out the perfect blend of music, mayhem and murder, a combination that The New York Times calls, INGENIOUS! A dazzling 90 minutes featuring two performers in 13 roles! A witty, winking nod to old-fashioned murder mysteries.

Event: Spring Break at the State Historical Museum Date: Friday, March 13 Friday, March 20 Time: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. M-Sat; Noon - 4:30 p.m. Sun Location: State Historical Museum of Iowa Admission: Free Description: Opening tomorrow, Friday March 13, catch the Battle Flag Hall. Filled with stories behind a dozen battle flags from the Museum's collection, including flags from the Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I. Plus, the Wall of Iowans also opens tomorrow, displaying biographies from nearly 30 Iowans including Peggy Whitson and Meredith Willson. Then throughout spring break, catch matinees at the museum, hands-on art activities, museum vault tours and more!

Event: Home & Remodeling Show Date: Friday, March 13 Sunday, March 15 Time: 1-8 p.m. F; 9 a.m. 7 p.m. Sat; 11 a.m. 5 p.m. Sun Location: Iowa State Fairgrounds - William C. Knapp Varied Industries Building Admission: $5; Children 5 & under free Description: Catch three days of innovative exhibitions, educational seminars and questions answered by qualified trade professionals. Connect with local experts offering inspiration, products and services to meet all your home and remodeling needs. New this year: an entire house built indoors by Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity.

Event: Jazz Happy Hour Date: Friday, March 13 Time: 5:30 7: 30 p.m. Location: Des Moines Social Club Admission: Free Description: Catch smooth tunes as free jazz swings by one of Des Moines coolest new spots, the Basement Bar at the Des Moines Social Club!

Event: The Somewhat True Tales of Robin Hood (Last week!) Date: Friday, March 13 Sunday, March 15 Time: 7 p.m. F; 1 p.m. Sat & Sun Location: Des Moines Community Playhouse Admission: $13 and up Description: Have all the fun at this frantically funny chronicle of Robin Hood! Follow the charming, but egotistical, Robin Hood as he leads his band of merry men and Maid Marian through the Sherwood Forest, in a Monty Python-esque journey you wont soon forget!

See the article here:
Weekend Events