Canopy being added to new downtown building

February 28, 2008
by Robert C. Burns
Muskegon Chronicle

A new architectural feature has been added to the two-story Sidock Building under construction at Western Avenue and Third Street in downtown Muskegon.

A semicircular glass canopy, not shown on the original drawings released publicly last fall, will overhang the main entrance on Western. It will measure 30 feet wide and extend 7½ feet over the sidewalk -- large enough to keep several people dry when it rains, big enough also to require an encroachment agreement with the city.

"We thought it would help define the entrance on Western, and also form a little bit of shelter," said Sidock's Don Spezia, lead architect for the $2.5 million building project.

Structural engineering is Sidock Group's bread and butter, and when the doors open in early July, first-time visitors will see some good examples of it -- a skylit, two-story atrium running down the center of the building, stairs suspended on long metal rods, and a high arched window overlooking Western Avenue.

Sidock Group will take over the second floor as its new headquarters, and open the ground floor to commercial uses -- possibly including at least one restaurant or coffee shop, for which the needed special ventilation is being incorporated into the construction.

Spezia said the building is designed to fit nicely into its surroundings. Exterior lighting and building accent lights -- some of which could be incorporated into an outdoor cafe -- will resemble the period-style downtown streetlights. And and walkways around the building will look like the stamped and stained concrete used in the new Western Avenue sidewalks.

"We're trying to make sure it looks like it belongs there," Spezia said.

A continuous green window awning will be used on all four sides.

"There won't be a bad side to the building," Spezia said.

Sidock is acting as its own construction manager, and is using building contracors from the West Michigan area and local employees whenever possible, Spezia said.

It's been a busy winter for construction in that part of the downtown, despite the unusually wintry weather. The Hines Building on the opposite side of Western is working toward a June opening as new home of the Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce.

On the other side of the Sidock Building, at Third and Clay, groundbreaking is expected to take place in (when) for construction of Baker College's new culinary arts school.