By CHERYL ROMANO/Lincoln Chronicle
YACHATS — Work on two of the city’s most-watched building projects is proceeding steadily as workers take advantage of mostly fair spring weather.
Foundation work is nearing the end at the West Seventh Street library, where walls for the new building are expected to start going up by the end of the month.
“We’re on schedule,” said Charlie Jewett, site supervisor with general contractor Unitus Services of Vancouver, Wash. Foundation concrete work is underway by RK Construction of Lincoln City.
Once that work is done, “We’ll start framing: the floors first, then the walls,” Jewett said.
The building should be complete by December, according to library administrator Traci Miller-Altson.
Passers-by are naturally curious about the work going on behind security fences, but some are a little too much.
“We had someone come inside the fence and walk underneath a concrete chute — while it was pouring concrete,” Jewett said. “Don’t go inside the security fence without going into the office (a trailer on site) and checking with me first.”
On West Third Street, the major makeover of the Little Log Church Museum is also on schedule. Crews from Top to Bottom Construction of Newport have raised the entire structure so that concrete forms can be placed for new footings.
“We had a group of six men using 20-ton jacks and walkie-talkies” to get the structure safely lifted, according to project manager Jesus Vazquez. Once the concrete is poured and cured, the whole building will be lowered back in place.
“Our mission is to make the church look like the original as much as possible,” Vazquez said. “The original flooring is staying. The entire exterior will be made of fire-rated faux logs called EverLogs.” Those are simulated logs made of fiber cement.
People walking by the construction site “Show a lot of gratitude that the church is getting the attention it needs,” Vazquez said. “We’re proud and happy to be doing this work.”
Top to Bottom handled the renovation of Lincoln County’s homeless shelter in Newport, which re-opened in February.
The library is a $1.5 million re-build of the original 52-year-old structure. The new facility will offer some 3,600 square feet of books, magazines and DVDs, a community meeting room and an area for teenagers and children. The old library measured 2,400 square feet.
The library continues to operate in temporary quarters in Room 8 of the Commons. Hours are noon to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The crumbling Little Log Church and Museum has been closed for over three years due to safety issues. Top to Bottom was awarded a $370,000 contract to renovate and repair the historic structure, which was built in the 1920s by community volunteers.
- Cheryl Romano is a Yachats freelance reporter who contributes regularly to Lincoln Chronicle, formerly YachatsNews. She can be reached at Wordsell@gmail.com
