Stoveworks

Every now and then, if you’re lucky, a project comes along that allows your company to be its authentic self. This is that job. It’s going to take more than a paragraph or two to elaborate.

When we were approached to work on Stove Works, the building was a boarded-up stove factory originally built in 1915. Over 18 months of construction (and nearly two years of pre-construction), we were able to deliver a project that made the architect and the client very happy—all while preserving and modernizing a unique 100-year-old industrial property in a previously overlooked part of South Chattanooga. Now the space serves as a contemporary arts center with art galleries, studios, and residential space, with a second phase housing retail businesses and office space coming soon.

Industrial sites present challenges. One that’s over 100 years old presents many. Like a number of hazardous conditions left over from bygone manufacturing processes. We worked closely with geotechnical and environmental engineers to create a mitigation strategy that included asbestos and lead abatement, encapsulation of some unsuitable soils, and the removal of others.

Construction isn’t just brick and mortar. We live and work in our community. So we worked hard to minimize any negative impact on those living around the project site. To help some local people experiencing homelessness relocate from the property in a safe and caring way, we collaborated with the Chattanooga Community Kitchen.

As partners with Stove Works, we made sure all work was completed within the confines of their nonprofit budget. It took tons of communication and lots of little things that add up to big cost savings. Like rigorously following the timeline so there was no overtime and no shift work. Or meticulously salvaging all the brick during demolition so that we could use it again, saving the cost of buying any new brick. (And keeping the original feel and character of the building intact.)

Phase One is in the books, and Stove Works has become a very visible anchor of the expanding South Chattanooga community. We’re proud that New Blue Construction received the BRIC Award for Excellence in Construction Renovation from the Association of General Contractors for this project.

Project Highlights

Size: 10,000+ square feet

Scope: Adapting 100-year old factory to become nonprofit contemporary arts center

Architect: Elemi Architects

Challenges: Remediation to address contamination on site; demolishing and reconstructing roof and floor systems while keeping masonry intact; salvaging and reusing all masonry material

Features: New addition featuring artists’ studios; dormitory/living space for artists in residence; art galleries