Anyone with a mind for history must be forgiven for wondering what Emanual Rentschler might have thought at the sight that appeared sometime after every responsible farmer would have finished breakfast this morning. [1]
That’s when installation began on steel framework for the new Saline Best Western Premier hotel, straight across East Michigan Avenue from the Rentschler farmhouse porch.
After a flurry of obvious excavation and foundation evidence that took things from the first quarter well into the second of this year, work took a decidedly more subtle turn. Following her daily routine at the Museum, Agnes Dikeman described it last week as “constant” (and raising “a lot of dust!”). [2]
Take a closer look at the property, however, and you’ll notice completed storm drain placements — and a red fire hydrant now between the north hotel face and US-12.
“Inside” the hotel, temporarily capped plumbing runs can be found. Exacting concrete pours for swimming pool and jacuzzi are done.
One of the benefits of having a locally based general contractor for this job is accountability. Jim Haeussler of Peters Building readily made time to provide Saline Journal with requested updates today, and patiently stepped back to put things in perspective to the whole.
“A lot of things have to be coordinated, and they have to happen in sequence,” he began. Exacting placements of foundation anchor bolts in mid-April must match to the expectation for column installations today.
“All of that framing will be completed in the next few days,” Mr Haeussler continued. “Then we go back to the ground where the pillars will have to match up within a half-inch in every spot.” Will casual observers notice a lot of that work between the completion of the current framing and the next walling-phases?
“Only if they know what they’re looking for.”
Jim Haeussler was also very open in having wanted to be further along with overall construction by this point. He referenced his own statement to Saline Journal where he said that he had planned to be “going verticle” around this time last month. Unfortunately, hotel construction progress has been affected by the same wet weather that has made for uncharacteristically green lawns this summer in Saline.
No need to speculate about what Mr Rentschler would have thought about that part. There’s little in life that farmers love more than rain.
References
- “Rentschler Farm Museum” Saline Area Historical Society.
- “Progress Report on Saline Hotel: Concrete Work on Footers Started Today” Dell Deaton (April 11, 2018) Saline Journal.
