First step: Raise the roof!
Well, honestly, we had a flurry of first steps over the past week since formally announcing our new Downtown headquarters, meeting with sign companies and contractors and building inspectors and so forth, while also putting the finishing touches on layout/design. But the biggest moment for Dali and me so far, beyond a doubt, came late last night with the first tearing up of the ugly drop ceiling in the place.
Two minutes of exclusive footage:
We've gone back and forth on this ceiling countless times, she and I, and it's been a challenge just sorting that out. The height of the place with the drop ceiling is 11 feet, which isn't bad. But there are 4 additional feet to be had up there, and that'd just be ... wow, you know? A lot more expansive in both feel and scope. And a lot more like a traditional Downtown storefront in that they're usually super-tall.
So, it'll now be 15 feet ... eventually.
Take one peek at that video, and it's easy to see there's a ton of work ahead cleaning up electrical, heating, cooling and other riff-raff that just shows up in a structure that's a century old. And that'll take both time and maybe more money than we'd budgeted. The goal is to have everything done by March and, of course, to keep costs reasonable.
We'll see how both of those go. But what's certain already is that, if we don't do the ceiling the way we want in the beginning, we'll never do it at all. So we'd rather apply this approach right up front -- just do everything first-class -- and hope it pays off with a better experience for visitors.
Lots of readers have asked for regular updates, so expect to see a lot of this, both here in Site Stuff and in What's Brewing.
And thanks again to everyone who's expressed support for this project!
BRICKS OF SUPPORT?
A couple readers in the comments of the announcement broached the idea of creating a way that contributors to the project could be part of this location, and we did look into some possibilities for that.
Here's one: Maybe we could revisit that 'Green Bay Packers' concept we brought up a year ago, the one that offers a symbolic stake -- plus other fun fare -- in exchange for a certificate or, in this case, a brick on the wall bearing your name, or something in that spirit. Different sizes, different price ranges, etc.
This way, there'd be no pressure. However many we get is however many we get, and that'd be how many bricks go up. Either that, or we could set some numerical goal.
Wide open on ideas here, obviously.
We've also floated ways for readers to check in upon visiting, then being able to see, maybe on a map, where everyone calls home. Mixon's Fruit Farms in Bradenton, Fla. has had one of these forever, and people love it. They used to do with literal pindrops on a map, but they've since switched to a software-based touch-screen.
Bring it on this, too. Now's the time. Once this process reaches a certain point, it'll be really hard to adjust in reverse.
And yet again, thanks to all!
UPCOMING EDITORIAL TRAVEL
We go where the stories are:
• Dale Lolley and I can't get enough Kansas City in our lives. We'll be flying right back there today.
• Dave Molinari's with the Penguins out west, with stops still left in San Jose and Las Vegas.
• Taylor Haase and I will drive to Columbus next Thursday to cover Penguins-Blue Jackets
• Taylor will fly out to cover the NHL All-Star Game, Feb. 5 in Las Vegas.
• Dale's flying to college football's Senior Bowl, Feb. 5 in Mobile, Ala., to get a firsthand look at a sizable portion of the next NFL Draft class.
• Alex Stumpf had expected to be back in Bradenton, Fla., this month for another rookie camp, but the Pirates pushed that back out of COVID concerns.
WEEKLY APP TIPS
Ways to make the app experience even better:
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BACK TO BUSINESS
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• Random trivia fun, to be read in an Alex Trebek voice: Our new HQ will have a street address of 224 Fifth Avenue. The building is currently known as Market Square Place, along with other neighboring structures. What was our building originally called? And what was the most famous tenant ever in that space?