September, 2004 - Page 2

Posted October 8, 2004

Swinging down to the ground level, we can see the work they’ve been doing down in the courtyard in what used to be the south parking lot. Here they’ve started putting up studs for the outside wall of the new building extension.

Here they’ve wrapped the bridge in a shroud. They did this to all the new structural steel they had installed so they could spray on the white fireproofing material. The shroud was only up for a couple of days. The bottom of the bridge is left unwrapped because it’s made out of concrete, and therefore already fireproof.

Here you can see the results of the fireproofing. The idea behind spraying this stuff on is so, in case of a fire, the steel holding the building together is protected from the heat. That way it won’t soften and cause a major collapse.

Here’s the new portecochere, also fireproofed. Now compare this picture to the next one, paying careful attention to the big tree.

They want a fresh start with the landscaping, so they took out some of the only trees on the property. There is only one tree left now, at the corner of Curry and Seventh, brushing up against the bridge. Will that one survive?

The tree removal definitely opens up the site and gives some new vantage points for taking pictures. Here’s a dead-on shot of the portecochere, with the gaping maw of the casino still open behind it. That opening used to be just a tiny side door; now it’s the main entrance to the casino.

One last look at the bridge shows the wallboard finally installed. Presumably all this wallboard is going to be plastered and painted just like the tower, and there are hints of nice little architectural flourishes to come.

On the far left, you can see the branches of the Last Tree Standing.

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