After years of saving and planning we finally had the opportunity to snap up a beautiful old factory in the city. The craftsmanship that went in to its construction over a hundred years ago is amazing and could not be replicated today. Not only would you be hard pressed to find an artisan with the talent needed to create these features, the cost would be well above most budgets could afford. At any rate we were looking forward to opening the old factory as a multi-use facility that included both retail and residential space. The first thing we had to do was have the building assessed for structural and electrical stability. After that we needed to address the heating and cooling aspects. We knew that the ancient unit that was in the boiler room had to be replaced so we started looking into new age, efficient ways to heat the building and add air conditioning for the Summer months. When we had decided on the system we wanted and submitted the plans to the city board. We were totally caught off guard when we were shot down on the plans. The Historical Society said that they would not approve the new and innovative changes because it would take away from the historical value of the building. Seeing as the building had been awarded a historical designation about five years prior it meant that we needed to maintain the integrity of the building and any additions had to blend in with the current look of the space. Now we are back to the drawing board and working with an HVAC design team to make it happen.
