MONROE - When the Monroe Arts Center hired the CG Schmidt firm of Milwaukee last month to manage the construction of its 10,000 square feet, two-story addition, the general contracting firm took on more than a job.
It brought with it a concept of maintaining Monroe's sense of a tight-knit and involved community.
The MAC addition "is really supported by the community," said Eric Schmidt, CG Schmidt's managing director on the MAC project. "It's critical that construction goes back to support the community."
CG Schmidt will try to maximize the participation of local subcontractors by breaking down large aspects of the contract so local vendors can manage them, Schmidt said.
The project is scheduled to break ground in the spring.
The addition is designed to reflect Monroe and the existing main building, a former Methodist church. The architecture firm, Kubala Washatko Architects Inc., based near Milwaukee, has green sustainability and historic preservation integrated into the project.
Exterior materials will be blended to flow between the two buildings that are separated by about 130 years. The church and neighboring parsonage, both designed by Edward Townsend Mix, are on the National Register of Historic Places. The church, whose corner stone was laid in 1869, was completed in 1887.
The addition is geared to be a top energy efficient building - LEED and Energy Star certifiable.
The church's stained glass windows will remain, while skylights will allow natural light inside the addition where more gallery space will reside. A two-story glass hallway will link the two wings.
The new building will have art education classrooms, a gift shop of local artists' work, and spaces for gathering, work and meeting.
Floor plans have yet to be drawn up, but Schmidt expects a huge factor to be accessibility beyond the basic requirements of the American with Disabilities Act. The goal is not to break up visiting groups that have one or two disabled people with them.
"We want it to be truly assessable to all people, with a design that is seamless," Schmidt added.
Construction itself should be open to the viewing public, according to Schmidt. He hopes MAC, which will remain open, can tie its events together with the one-year project.
"Construction is important and generates excitement," Schmidt said. "It's an event unto itself."
The $2.7 million project, on the east side of the MAC at 13th Avenue and 11th Street, is not expected to require any street closures, and construction will take place mostly between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays, so as not to unduly disrupt the neighborhood.
It brought with it a concept of maintaining Monroe's sense of a tight-knit and involved community.
The MAC addition "is really supported by the community," said Eric Schmidt, CG Schmidt's managing director on the MAC project. "It's critical that construction goes back to support the community."
CG Schmidt will try to maximize the participation of local subcontractors by breaking down large aspects of the contract so local vendors can manage them, Schmidt said.
The project is scheduled to break ground in the spring.
The addition is designed to reflect Monroe and the existing main building, a former Methodist church. The architecture firm, Kubala Washatko Architects Inc., based near Milwaukee, has green sustainability and historic preservation integrated into the project.
Exterior materials will be blended to flow between the two buildings that are separated by about 130 years. The church and neighboring parsonage, both designed by Edward Townsend Mix, are on the National Register of Historic Places. The church, whose corner stone was laid in 1869, was completed in 1887.
The addition is geared to be a top energy efficient building - LEED and Energy Star certifiable.
The church's stained glass windows will remain, while skylights will allow natural light inside the addition where more gallery space will reside. A two-story glass hallway will link the two wings.
The new building will have art education classrooms, a gift shop of local artists' work, and spaces for gathering, work and meeting.
Floor plans have yet to be drawn up, but Schmidt expects a huge factor to be accessibility beyond the basic requirements of the American with Disabilities Act. The goal is not to break up visiting groups that have one or two disabled people with them.
"We want it to be truly assessable to all people, with a design that is seamless," Schmidt added.
Construction itself should be open to the viewing public, according to Schmidt. He hopes MAC, which will remain open, can tie its events together with the one-year project.
"Construction is important and generates excitement," Schmidt said. "It's an event unto itself."
The $2.7 million project, on the east side of the MAC at 13th Avenue and 11th Street, is not expected to require any street closures, and construction will take place mostly between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. weekdays, so as not to unduly disrupt the neighborhood.