F.H. Paschen is restoring the Indiana National Guard South Bend Armory, one of 60 armories in Indiana.
Work started in December on the $1.5 million renovation and is expected to be complete in March.
The first step of renovating the temporary home of 130 Indiana Army National Guard Engineering Co. soldiers was turning the heat back on. That effort included replacing one of five rooftop units and servicing the four others. The heat was restored in December in time for winter weather.
“Getting the HVAC systems running and operational was our first goal,” said Kylie Steele, F.H. Paschen Indiana building group project manager, in a press release. “These are America’s heroes and the Indiana National Guard needed this space functional for their soldiers. Restoring the heat was the most important step in making the building habitable again.”
The facility, also known as the CPT Lyle J. Thompson USARC, was vacant for almost four years, so problems arose during the renovation that is ongoing. Water valves needed replacing; main lines unclogged; and electrical problems rewired. The building also needed two hot water heaters, a boiler and a 80,000 BTU furnace.
“We worked closely with our subcontractors to overcome the issues that only appear once you start opening up an old building,” said Jake Miller, F.H. Paschen superintendent. “Repairing the plumbing and electrical systems quickly allowed the unit to stay on schedule with their training.”
Griffen Plumbing and Heating, Kleckner Interior Systems and Shive-Hattery Inc. Architecture & Engineering are contributing to the project. F.H. Paschen has offices in South Bend, Merrillville and Michigan City.
The project will wrap up with a new roof this spring.
