UPDATED – September 1st:

The roof project got underway as anticipated, and so far there have been no surprises. The contractor has successfully removed the outer and inner portions of the railing to be discarded, with the exception of the posts and rails to be re-purposed for use with the new anchorage support system.

Below, workers have removed the inner and outer railing, with exception of the posts which supported the inner railing. Tests by our engineering team with Wiss Janney Elstner found that these posts are more than strong enough to be useful as supports for the new anchorage system that is being put in place for use by our window washers and for any tools and equipment which may need to hang from the roof level in the future.

Also, demolition of the masonry repair locations got underway. Fortunately, so far conditions have been as expected, as they prepare to conduct repairs to the concrete walls of the penthouse rooms and other locations at the roof level.

At this time, the team is on schedule and with cooperative weather the outlook is presently positive for them to remain so.

Original Post – August 18th:

Not to be completely outdone by the solar eclipse, the planets have aligned such that we anticipate to begin the roof project this Monday August 21st.

The necessary permits are in place and with reasonable weather, our contractor will begin mobilizing to replace the main roof, conduct masonry repairs at the roof level, and install the new anchorage system (for window washers and swing stages) required by current regulations. The mobilization phase is expected to take the duration of the first week, Monday August 21st through Friday the 25th. They will begin moving materials to the roof, and setting up to begin the job.

With cooperative weather and elevators, the project is expected to be completed by the first week of December. If all goes well, they are optimistic the anchorages will be in place and tested before that time. We hope to coordinate with our window washers to get the exterior cleaned before the holiday season gets underway.

For owners who live in the vicinity of the roof, there will be loud noise including banging, drilling and vibrating from time to time for the duration of the project. We suspect this to be especially noticeable on work days from the 44th floor going up. However, being a mostly metal and concrete building, it is possible noise will be heard all the way to the ground level at times. Obviously, such conditions will be most pronounced as you get closer to the roof.

Below, the southwest portion of the main roof – railings to be removed, roof to be replaced, masonry wall to be repaired, and anchorages to be embedded and tested:

It will be noisiest during the prep and demolition phases, as they remove the old roof and other materials, and prepare the masonry walls for repair work. Since there are several different surfaces, from the upper penthouses, to the inner screen wall and the exterior exposed roof level, this will happen in phases throughout the project.

Timing this exactly, is nearly impossible with all the variables. As it stands now, the noisiest work will probably be from next week through the first week of October, as masonry work is completed, and the largest areas of the roof are removed. One portion of the roof, within the large upper screen walls, will be a staging area throughout this process, and will not be replaced until the very end. That is expected to be demo’d and replaced around the end of October.

Below, the inner screen wall to be the staging area, and last area of roof planned to be replaced:

At the ground level, workers will be mobilizing early in the day, to prepare for working hours. However, they have been directed to limit noise and vibration generating work to between 9am and 5pm on weekdays. If the weather does not cooperate on weekdays, there may be times work will be scheduled on weekends. It is critical the project be completed before the dead of winter.

PARKERS and LAUNDRY ROOM customers – keep updated on the anticipated elevator scheduling by visiting PT Condos Online Calendar. Service Elevator #6 will be busy each workday. If for some reason there is either an outage, or when resident moves or deliveries are scheduled, they may resort to some use of Service Elevator #5. From time to time, so work can be completed expeditiously, the contractors will reserve the elevator to bring materials, waste and tools up and down. As the project gets underway we anticipate being provided a schedule one to two weeks in advance, with anticipated reservations.

To accommodate this project, we are limiting the number of move and large delivery reservations we make each week. So if you’re either making plans to move in or out or anticipating furniture or appliance deliveries, it is critical owners and residents schedule such activity as far in advance as possible.

When new roofing material is being applied, there will be days when odors are generated. Our ventilation system may be taken offline on these days since there are fresh air intake vents at the roof level. This measure will reduce the penetration of these odors. We have asked to receive ample notice when this is expected, so we can advise residents in advance. It will be impossible to eliminate these odors completely, but we will take what steps we can to buffer their impact – such as closing off the roof level intakes.

This project is one of the more massive a building such as Park Tower can take in its lifetime. Its also one of the most important for the health of the structure. We are committed to communicating with residents when there are critical updates and elevator scheduling, advise you when to expect odors and any other occurrences which may impact your quiet enjoyment, and any other information that can help you plan and anticipate activities as this project unfolds.

Because of the scope and timing of this project, we are not planning to complete any risers this fall. Previously, the low zone ‘05/’06 and ‘03/’15 risers were tentatively scheduled for the fall. Any riser work will likely be postponed until Spring 2018. Click here for more.

As always, we appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding while we carry out these very important improvements. At anytime you have questions or concerns, please contact the office.