PCL’s Special Projects division renovated the more than 100-year-old Norwood Hotel bar and lounge while keeping the attached occupied hotel and active kitchen functional throughout construction. Work included demolition, full structural upgrades, mechanical and electrical upgrades, kitchen reconfiguration and upgrades, façade replacement, installation of new millwork, flooring, ceilings and other finishes.  

The owner’s family has held the historic building, chalk full of meaningful history and memories, for multiple generations. Success for the client entailed completing a full renovation and an end product that showcased features of the building’s history. The renovation transformed the hotel bar and lounge into The Wood Tavern, an upbeat restaurant that combines historic and modern features. The upgraded space incorporates elements from the original building such as the original tile design, artwork and exposed existing structural features. It also features higher-end finishes such as custom wood countertops, wood veneer walls and ceiling, quartz counter and tabletops, mosaic and ceramic tiling, stained concrete flooring, custom light fixtures and a large wood burning grill in the show kitchen. 

Once demolition and abatement began, the team realized the building required major structural work and repair. In addition, the space was initially three different buildings connected over the years requiring a separate structural and architectural design for each space. We helped the design team and primary consultant overcome these hidden challenges by completing a site walk-through with all consultants during which a list of all structural issues was developed. We worked with our trade partners to develop an order of magnitude budget pricing and preliminary design solution for all areas of the building. We then created a priority list of design details that were required to maintain construction flow on-site. The list was updated two times a week through a conference call with all parties, including the client.  

We delivered a high-quality product within the client’s budget that met the architect’s intent per the preliminary renderings and completed the project in a timely manner. Although the existing building conditions affected the design in various areas, we provided viable solutions that had the least impact to the design and budget. We were fully transparent about the project schedule and completion date throughout the project. Our commitment to honesty, combined with ongoing communication allowed the client to properly plan the re-opening of the restaurant.