Tweet/Garot was recently contracted to convert an industrial facility built in the early 1900’s into a multi-use occupancy. The new utilization will house a public market, the Wisconsin Farmer’s Union Office, and residential apartments.

The market is located on the first floor of the building which includes multiple vendors along with restaurant spaces. Market tenants are required to utilize a minimum amount of locally sourced products and ingredients. The second level serves as the corporate headquarters for the facility owners as well as space available for lease. The third floor holds a residential occupancy, with apartments available for lease.

The first and second floors utilize packaged rooftop air handling units as well as a variable air volume (VAV), hydronic reheat system, served by two hot water boilers. The apartments on the third floor are served by fully electric air source heat pumps with electric resistance heating backup.

The age of the existing structure and techniques utilized at the time of its construction served as challenges throughout this renovation. The building is supported by mass timber construction with sub-10 foot beam heights. Minimal vertical clearance throughout levels one and two of the facility forced a complex duct system with multiple vertical shafts to distribute air throughout the facility. Additionally, the facility was built on the remnants of a previous building that had burned down prior to its reconstruction at this site. Several large pieces of the previous structure were still present below to the facility which had to be removed as part of the underground plumbing work. Despite these unique challenges, Tweet/Garot was able to deliver our scope on time and within budget.

Tweet/Garot’s involvement included the building mechanical, plumbing and building automation systems.