Plainfield Ave. Meijer Construction Updates

[tamias6]

Construction Update and Photo Session:

It looks like all 4 walls are up and one can all ready see the basic shape of the new store. To my surprise is how close the new building encroaches the old store as well as the mobile home park and apartment complex to the SW. Their maybe only 6 feet of space between the old and new store while the old access road to the mobile home park and apartment looks like it will be replaced by a part of the new store's outdoor garden center. So basically if any of you live in the Mobile Home Park or the Apartments and you've always wanted a front row seat view of a Meijer store, here you go. Lastly a 100 foot tall crane is parked inside the new store where the seasonal dept will be located. So expect steel to start flying fairly soon.

Now Let's get started on some pictures.

The old and new store together. The new store is so close to the old one that from this angle the new store looks more like an enormous addition to the old building. The new store's grocery entrance can be seen while it's retail entrance is obscured by the old store.

Shot with DSC-P200 at 2007-07-20

This a couple of shots of the new store's grocery entrance. As seen here the new store will sport the distinctive "eyebrow" entrances that clearly identifies this as a new Meijer store. The second shot is a more detailed view of the entrance. The opening on the side of what will become the vestibule will be a doorway into the Bottle Returns room.

This is the new store's NE wall and modifications made to the parking lot. A concrete pad as been poured in front of the openings in the wall. This pad is a foundation that will support a lean-to containing refrigerated storage rooms. The opening will contain vault like metal doors for access into the refrigerated storage rooms. The whole lean-to will be about 14 feet wide and about 100 or so feet long and will accommodate perishables awaiting to be placed on the sales floor.

A more detail shot of the side wall showing the concrete pad for the refrigerated lean-to.

This is the old and new store side by side shot from another angle. Again notice how close the new store is to the old one. In fact the old store's loading docks are partially obscured by the new building. Also this shot shows that the prefabricated walls of the new store features an etched brick pattern intermixed with smooth surfaces. This should make for an interesting look as this arrangement follows the new store's planned color scheme.

Old Meets New. There is barely six feet between the old and new store. The smooth portion of the new store's wall is the sign board which will receive a gigantic fifteen foot tall "meijer" logo. Needless to say one will have to be totally blind or illiterate to not know that this will be a Meijer store. The opening below the sign board will become a service door leading to what will become offices or storage rooms behind the customer service desk.

This is a view inside the new store through the loading docks. The temporary bracing propping up the walls indicate that the new building is in a very weak and vulnerable state. It will remain so until the interior steel structure is installed. Once the steel structure is completed and able to hold up the walls the temporary bracing will be removed.

This is a shot of an access road severed by the construction site. The new store's 18' high back wall dominates the surrounding area. The Meijer property sitting atop a hill adds to the the new store's presence. Hopefully Meijer and the Township agreed to some landscaping that will tone the back wall down a bit.

Here's an interesting shot of a cement truck driving through the future baby and tots dept. as viewed from an opening in the back wall.

After getting to the apartment complex, I took this shot of the garden center side of the new store as viewed from one of the apartment buildings. Like most new Meijer stores, the bump out features windows that will flood the seasonal dept with natural light.

About 40 feet to the rear of the bump out where E4 will be located, a few prefab wall panels were left out to easily get large construction equipment in and out of the building. This shot pears though that opening to reveal the cement truck, shot earlier, parked in the grocery section doing some pouring next to the roughed in pipework for what I believe will become the store's frozen food aisles.

For all you crane buffs out there I saved the best for last. This hundred foot tall Tim Allen toy was responsible for manhandling all the new store's prefab panels in place. I bet this brute will also stick around to make steel fly when it comes time to install the interior structure.

[pcdoctor]

From what that looks like, once the new store opens, only entrance that will be open is the grocery entrance.

[tamias6]

Now that the walls are up and the positioning and basic shape of the new store can be seen, I decided to create a new sketchup model of what the building may look like along with how the property might be laid out. The new store is based on the renderings, posted in the grocery entry of the old store, and a few other recently built Meijer stores. Thus it should be fairly accurate. The parking lot is purely an educated guess based on existing conditions, how Meijer typically lays out its parking lots, and what has been constructed so far. I've kept the details low so I can easily make changes to the model as the real store gets built.

So enjoy.

Looking due north at the new store. From left to right is the garden center, drive up pharmacy, retail entrance, and grocery entrance. I have included textures of the brick pattern to illustrate how the brick pattern and smooth surfaces follow the arrangement of the color scheme.

Here's a detail shot of the entrances. As seen here they will be of the distinctive eyebrow variety like those at the renovated Alpine Meijer. However even though these entrances will be quite tall, about 35 feet high they will better blend into the rest of the building as the height of the facade and sign board are notably higher than the buildings 24' main roof line. The entry canopies will either be supported by incline columns or more likely suspended by large turn buckles embedded into the concrete walls as shown here. Beside each entrance are doors leading into the cart rooms.

Looking due east at the garden center and the back of the new store. Notice the white color of the roof. Meijer has been covering the roofs of of its new stores with a white coating to reflect heat away from the building. This does two things. One, it reduces the cost of cooling the building. Secondly, it reduces the store's heat island effect making walking from ones car to the store more comfortable while more importantly reducing negative effects on the environment. Behind the store is its drainage basin. The back corner of the garden center may be notched to make way for an access road to the back of the store as space in that area is very tight.

This is the grocery side of the building and its loading docks. The lean-to contains refrigerated storage rooms for keeping perishables awaiting to be placed on the sales floor. Also the attached cooling plant will be nicely housed to blend in with the rest of the store. Meijer apparently negotiated with the owners of the office buildings behind the store as the parking lots back there were modified to make room for portions of the new store.

This is a shot of the entire Meijer property illustrating how the layout might turnout. The gas station will most likely stay as it is other than changes to colors and signege to match it with the new store. There might be two out lots to the front of the property along Plainfield. Lastly access to the mobile home park from the Meijer property would likely be retained unless access to the mobile home park is somehow rerouted directly to Plainfield or another side street.

...And there you have it a prediction of what the new Plainfield Meijer may look like.

[tamias6]

Construction Update:

As of today, most of the roof and internal steel structure is in. Added to that, the retail entrance's steel structure has been roughed in with only a few minor details to go. Since the weather has been fowl, most construction activities are concentrated in the cavernous interior. I assume this work consists of roughing in infrastructure that will be suspended from the new ceiling as well as pipping and below grade utilities that will be buried beneath the concrete floor yet to be poured.

Now for some pictures...Yes I braved torrential rain and a bold venture into the construction site itself to squeeze in these shots. My dedication to keeping vigil on Meijer activities for UP in action. Anyway, enjoy.

The new store front. The rough in of the retail entrance's steel structure is nearly complete. Closer to the foreground is the grocery entrance which has yet to receive its steel structure.

Venturing into the construction site via the open gate in front of the mobile home park, I nailed this shot of what will become the garden center and the bump out that will house most of the seasonal dept. Peaking above the roof line to the right of the image is the retail entrance.

Behind the garden center is this chasm formed by two missing exterior wall panels which were intentionally left out to allow large vehicles and machinery easy access into the building. The panels will be installed at a later time.

A look inside the cavernous interior from the rear of the store. Its hard to believe that a year from now, this dank and dark scene from a post apocalyptic future movie will be a polished and brightly lit retail space teeming with customers filling their carts with all sorts of items and goodies available at Meijer.

Eventually an endless stream of Meijer semis will be parking at these loading docks to feed this store's insatiable apatite for grocery products and general merchandise to sell to eager customers. For now the loading docks are being used to stage various equipment and supplies needed to get the store built.

Here's some construction materials staged just of the store's north east side. The white material is Styrofoam insulation boards. Some of which looks to be more than twelve inches thick! Assuming insulation boards are destined to go topside, the roof will have an R-value of of at least 38. As very large buildings of this size and nature are very difficult and costly to heat and cool, attaining high R-values is a must.

Last but not least, are the new store in the foreground and the old store in the distance. Also seen here are two workers are braving torrential rain as they unload tools from their pickup truck for their next assignment.

[tamias6]

Construction Updates:

The new Plainfeild Ave. Meijer's exterior walls are now well into the paint stage. Also the grocery and retail entrances are are now completely roughed in complete with canopies. In the past Meijer has opted to suspend the entrance canopies with turnbuckles bolted to the exterior walls above or support the canopies with inclined columns. In the case of the new Plainfield Ave. store Meijer has opted for the incline columns giving the entry canopies a retro 1950's drive-in root beer stand look. Also the entrances of some Rockwell Prototype stores feature elongated triangular shaped metal fins affixed to the vertical columns that support the eye row roof. Rather the entrances of the new Plainfield Ave. store will feature these fines or not is unclear at this time. Perhaps when the glass curtain walls are installed, we shall find out.

Interior wise it was too dark to clearly see what was going on inside. However from what I could tell, walls were being roughed in with metal studs. That means the floor has already been poured and fully cured.

Now for some shots of the store as of Thursday of last week.

Approaching the Plainfield Ave. Meijer site

The North East wall receiving paint.

Note that the refrigeration lean-to has not been built yet. Perhaps there has been a delay in the schedule in constructing that part of the building or maybe refinements to store layout has fully absorbed all refrigeration needs within the exterior walls resulting in no lean-to.

A view of the store front from the NE approach

A detail shot of the new store's grocery entrance. Notice that the new entry canopy is supported by inclined columns giving the entrance the look of a 1950's drive-in root beer stand.

Some leftover roof trusses and the start of one of the garden center's canopies.

The back of the store is all painted up in typical Meijer colors. In the distance some pressure treated 2 x 12's are being applied to roof line of the rear wall in preps for special roof flashing that will direct run-off away from the wall while giving the top of the rear wall a finished look.

[pcdoctor]

The plainfield meijer store had to close for a few hours this morning due to the fact that an electrical box caught fire in the back of the store. No one was hurt, but power did go out and they could see smoke and smell something burning. The store is now reopen. It's a good thing they are building a new meijer store.

[pr sc]

That's just weird to me...having been a (very) young adult when that Meijer opened. As us old ones say: seems like yesterday! It was the most amazing store. I never liked the Alpine store. Even way back I thought it was rather dumpy. Even 15 years ago the Plainfield store always look pretty fresh and clean (as opposed to Piggly Wiggly/BiLo types down here). So glad we finally got Publix. It's a bit expensive but, if you learn how to shop there, it pretty much balances out.

[tamias6]

Yeap! I'd say Meijer is wise to put the old horse out to pasture and bring in a new steed.

[d8alterego]

Yeap! I'd say Meijer is wise to put the old horse out to pasture and bring in a new steed.

[Veloise]

Any updates/pics on this "new steed?"

[tamias6]

Construction Updates:

Any updates/pics on this "new steed?"

[pcdoctor]

Are the doors that are at the entrances the same sliding doors Alpine has?

[tamias6]

Are the doors that are at the entrances the same sliding doors Alpine has?

[blueradon]

Wow I didn't realize that this thing was literally up and painted already - Are there any updates?

[Veloise]

...

Meijer showed some courtesy by erecting this 6 foot high privacy fence to screen off adjacent office buildings from the loading docks.

...

[tamias6]

... Maybe they'll install the new store's case and then move it over, save a few thou$and.)

[tamias6]

Construction Updates:

Its quite clear that good ol' Fred cracks some mighty big whips when it comes to building new stores. With construction that begun in May of this year, allot of work has been done to the new Plainfeild Ave. store. Already the building is painted and weather tight. Only the canopy of the retail entrance and the outdoor garden center needs to be completed and signs hung before exterior work is done. At this current pace the new store may be open for business well before its April 2008 deadline. In fact I bet Meijer will have the new Plainfield store open long before Walmart completes its new Alpine Ave. super center.

Inside, its pretty much gangbusters. The sales floor appears to have been painted and all floor tiles laid. In addition most of the store furnishings and fixtures have been installed while much of the store graphics have been hung. Those hoping for a Meijer @ Cascade clone maybe a bit disappointed as Meijer has opted to do the 192,000 sq. ft. iteration of its standard David Rockwell prototype inside. However, this prototype is very specious, brightly lit, easily navigable, and provides a pleasant yet convenient shopping experience. A visit to the Standale store and the recently renovated Alpine Ave. store will provide a very good preview of what to expect at the new Plainfield store. Most of all the new store will in every way, shape, and form be light years better than the old Tin Lizzy its replacing.

Meanwhile at the old store the rear entrance has been closed and boarded up. Never again shall customers file through its old doors.

Now onto today's photo shoot

Approaching the old and new store

As seen here space is really tight....

....So much so the canopy for the retail entrance will not be constructed until the old building is demolished.

A shot of the interior though the grocery entrance

A couple of shots of the Garden center. It will not be completed until the old store is demolished.

A shot of the old Plainfield store's rear entrance. As seen here it as been boarded up. Soon old store #12 will solemnly ring its cash registers for the last time before it is sent off to the Great Big Box in the sky.

[pcdoctor]

If anyone has been inside the plainfield store recently, what is in the place where the back checkout lanes were at?

Also looking closely at the pictures of the grocery entrance, it looks like the doors are of the swinging doors and not the sliding doors that Alpine has.

[tamias6]

If anyone has been inside the plainfield store recently, what is in the place where the back checkout lanes were at?

Also looking closely at the pictures of the grocery entrance, it looks like the doors are of the swinging doors and not the sliding doors that Alpine has.

[highwayguy]

I've have not been inside, but its safe to assume the back check out lanes are no longer operative and are ether sitting idle or have been removed.

[GR Straight Edge]

I was actually out at the Plainfield Meijer earlier tonight.

First off, the parking situation is definately messed up, they've for some reason it seems put in the handicap parking spots for the new store while leavin the old ones for the current building making 1/4 of the parking lot that people actually use handicap parking. Why they've added handicap spots makes little sense as i'd assume that they'd redo the lot upon the demolition of the current building.

They're slowly starting to shut things down inside it seems, the offices upstairs near the bathroom have been completely cleared and as was spoken above in the back corner where there was an entrance is just a completely empty space now, there isn't even any racks along the wallks, it's literally like walking into a really large empty room.

I hope they complete the project soon because things are slowly starting to become more confusing to go there...

[pcdoctor]

Maybe from what you are saying, it could only be a matter of weeks to a month until the new plainfield store opens.

[Veloise]

...At the service desk, I suggested that they might want to consider ditching this ol' dump and moving to a nice new store. Red shirt said, "in April, we will." Said that they are "working on the inside" of the new store. ...

[pcdoctor]

Hey Straight Edge:

Is it still lit up back in the area where the back checkout lanes used to be? To those that frequently go to this store, maybe it's time to start hearing more about what's going on in the exhisting store. Also, a while back, Veloise pointed out that the deli hot case had broken down. Did they replace it with a new one yet?

[Veloise]

...Is it still lit up back in the area where the back checkout lanes used to be? To those that frequently go to this store, maybe it's time to start hearing more about what's going on in the existing store. ...