Alpine Meijer To Get New Face

[tamias6]

Consturction Update:

The front wall of the addition is about six courses of bricks away from completion. Weather permiting, all three walls of the addition should be done by the end of the day on Friday. If not than I'm betting next week.

[Raildudes dad]

Consturction Update:

The front wall of the addition is about six courses of bricks away from completion. Weather permiting, all three walls of the addition should be done by the end of the day on Friday. If not than I'm betting next week.

[tamias6]

Can't wait to see some crane action. Hopfully the next time I drop by the Alpine Meijer I see some steel flying around.

They almost got the wall done yesterday The little corner by the new drive in pharmacy has a few blocks to go. Most of the scaffolding is gone. There's a bunch of steel trusses along Hillside wainting to be put in place. I'm guessing a big crane is coming shortly

[blueradon]

If anyone wishes to share or go snap some photos of what the exterior is looking like...that'd be cool to see

[tamias6]

Construction Update:

We've got crane action! Today, a portable crane has been hoisting structural metal trusses onto the addition. As of the time I drove through the parking lot this afternoon, trusses have been installed over the rear half of the addition. The upper righthand corner of the addition's front wall where it meets the existing building still needs to be bricked up though. That probably won't happen until tuesday of next week when outside temps get back above freezing.

[tamias6]

Construction Update:

The addition's exterior walls are now completly bricked up and all of the steel roof trusses are in place with welders tacking everything together. Also, a cement truck was out towards the back corner of the addition doing some minor concrete pouring. Lastly, I saw about fifty to sixty individuals leaving the store with copies of the renovation's blueprints. I'm assuming that plans for the store's interior work has been handed out to involved contractors and subcontractors. Thus, its a safe bet that the addition will be completly closed in and weather tight by Christmas and interior work set to begin after the holidays.

From here on I'm predicting that once the additions is weather tight, exterior work will die down for the winter as the interior gets underway. Winter will be spend on the interior and when spring of '07 arives and things thaw out, interior work will move to the front of the store and exterior work will resume with construction of the new front facade and new entrances. The from that point on it will be a mad dash to the finish line in fall of '07 for both interior and exterior.

Speaking of the interior. On the top of my wish list is the demolishion of the store's ugly drop ceiling to make way for the expose rafter look. Many here on UP have complained about the store's dingy and outdated look. That drop ceiling is half of the problem. Exposing and painting the rafters would make the Alpine Meijer look ten times bigger than it is now.

[snoogit]

Speaking of the interior. On the top of my wish list is the demolishion of the store's ugly drop ceiling to make way for the expose rafter look. Many here on UP have complained about the store's dingy and outdated look. That drop ceiling is half of the problem. Exposing and painting the rafters would make the Alpine Meijer look ten times bigger than it is now.

[Raildudes dad]

Trusses are all up and the metal roof decking is all in place. A VL Watkins lowboy was there at 10AM this morning to pick up the crane. I'm guessing no more cranes until the roof top HVAC units are placed.

Update: There are still some trusses left on the ground. Must be at least part of the garden center will be covered.

[tamias6]

Going by the renderings, just under half of the outdoor garden center is be under a canapy.

Trusses are all up and the metal roof decking is all in place. A VL Watkins lowboy was there at 10AM this morning to pick up the crane. I'm guessing no more cranes until the roof top HVAC units are placed.

Update: There are still some trusses left on the ground. Must be at least part of the garden center will be covered.

[tamias6]

Construction Update:

The roof over the addition is installed and one more course of bricks is being laid forming a parapet and matching the wall height of the addition to that of the rest of the existing building.

Side Note:

Way back in the day the Alpine Meijer began life as a Meijer Grocery Store but then at some point it was converted into a Thrifty Achors and after many revisions and renovations we have the store we see today. When I was there at the store today I was looking up at the exposed rafters and beams trying to deciper which part of the store was the orginal grocery store. I'm thinking that it covers the area where the pet goods, deli, produce and the frount half of the grocery asiles are at today since the rafters look a little different in that area. But I'm not too sure as the store has been worked and reworked on so many times of the years. Does anybody know what the orginal store looked like when it was first built?

[tamias6]

Construction Update:

The addition's prarapet (the course of brick above roof level) is complete while work on the canapy over the new garden center is under way with the columns and some of the steel trusses of the front of of it already installed.

[tamias6]

The structure of the new garden center's canapy is complete. It just needs to be roofed over.

[Timize]

Do you have any pictures of the construction, tamias? I wish I had the time to visit the Alpine Meijer, but I've been swamped with work lately.

[tamias6]

I hoping to take my digital camera with me next time I do some shopping.

[tamias6]

Here are some pictures of the Alpine Maijer in the mist of its renovation.

The addition is fully roughed in and enclosed with the new garden centers canapy taking shape. At this point of the construction one gets a good sence of where new meets old.

This few of the store store front shows in more detail where the addition begins. Also pictured is the temporary retail enterance. The automatic doors are two pairs reused from the old south facing retail entrence now covered over by the addition. Right now what is left of the old entry is being used to store shopping carts.

A closer in few of the temporary retail entrence. Noticed the two a pair of the old entry doors being reused. The temporary enterence takes up over half of the photo department.

Here is a good view of the Addition itself and new garden center's canapy. Bulders chose to use cinder blocks instead of the prefabed panels found on brand new Meijer stores to blend the addition with the existing building. The brick work of addition's front wall will be be covered by parts of a new store front facade yet to begin while the side and back walls of the addition will simply be painted.

This detail shot of the new canopy shows off the steel trusses. To the lower left quadrant of the image, notice the new garden center's greenhouse taking shape. This maybe the old garden center's greenhouse being reused.

So as shown here the Alpine Store is in the mist of its biggest renovation since it was converted from a Meijer grocery store to a Thrifty Acers dacades ago.

[tamias6]

Construction Update:

The new Garden Center's canapy is fully roughted in and roofed over and all concrete paving is is done. Along with that posts for the fence to enclose the garden center have been installed. Judging by the fence posts the new fence looks like it will be of chain linked variety and will six feet high. Inside the store more items have been cleared from the old garden center. But that is mostly related to the clearing of chirstmas product. However a more important change has occured inside. All items and shelving along the existing south wall have been cleared. So it will be very soon that the south wall will be demolished to open the addition to the exisitng space for the first time. I can wait to see what that will look like.

Heres some pictures.

[tamias6]

Looks like I'm the only one keeping this thread alive. Oh Well. At least its here and a proper place to document the renovation of the Alpine Meijer as we may not see a drastic renovation like this done to this store for another twenty years or more. I will try to stay with this renovation, and UP moderators permiting, post updates until its completion in fall of 2007. Wish me luck?

Any how....

Construction Update:

At the new Garden Center, the canapy has been fully enclosed with temporary walls made of plastic and plywood. A large propane tank was placed at the front side of the canapy. I'm assuming that jet heaters are inside the enclosed canapy to enable the space to serve as a very nice and toasty warm workshop for the workers to continue the renovation which is now having a drastically increased effect upon the interior. The existing south wall has been knocked down exposing the addition to the interior for the first time. However, for safety and to keep dust down, a temporary wall made of metal studs, plastic and plywood went up in the south wall's place. Also the drop ceiling over the electronics dept., Jewelary, all checkout lanes, and the northern half of the clothing department has been striped away exposing the roof trusses above. Added to that the cafeteria up on the mezzenine is being gutted. In a nut shell the Alpine Meijer's sales floor now resembles more of a war zone than a retail space. However nagigation is still fairly easy....for now.

Pics of the Addition and Canapy

[GR_Urbanist]

I would have taken pictures from the inside last night when I was there, but I think Meijer had a policy about having cameras inside. (not sure)

But it looks like they have removed most of the drop ceiling from over the check-out lanes.

[Veloise]

Looks like I'm the only one keeping this thread alive. Oh Well. At least its here and a proper place to document the renovation of the Alpine Meijer as we may not see a drastic renovation like this done to this store for another twenty years or more. I will try to stay with this renovation, and UP moderators permiting, post updates until its completion in fall of 2007. Wish me luck?

...

[jbr12]

I've been following it We go to that Meijer 2-3 times a week, but my other half isnt fond of construction so I get glimpses while I can then come here to check out your pics and nice updates

[tamias6]

Cool! It looks like we have some Meijer faithful out there. I'll still be here on the front lines posting updates.

[Thrillhouse]

I've been following. It was my "go to" grocery store when I lived on the north side of town.

[Klondike5]

I understand that the Plainfield Meijer is to undergo renovations or a whole new building. Glad to see the Alpine store getting a much needed facelift though.

[tamias6]

Meijer is planning to build a new 195,000 sq ft store at back of the Plainfeild location then demolish the existing store. The odd configuration and the obsolecence of the existing store warrants Meijer to build anew on that site.

I understand that the Plainfield Meijer is to undergo renovations or a whole new building. Glad to see the Alpine store getting a much needed facelift though.

[Veloise]

WOW! I was there tonight and just had to peek inside the plastic curtained-off area. Should have brought my camera.

And the optical vendor is moving out, since the renno will not have room for their use. They are moving to Knapp's Corner on Thursday.