McKay Tower renovations begin in March

A downtown Grand Rapids landmark will get a makeover starting in March.

Exterior renovations will begin on McKay Tower in March and last late into the summer.  Scaffolding will be set up soon and protective walk-thru canopies will cover the building’s entrances through the project.

All stores inside the building will remain open.  The exterior renovations are part of the building owner’s long-term renovation plans.

“McKay Tower needs some exterior repair, so we’ll be working diligently to bring the building back to historic charm while ensuring the structure itself is completely taken care of,” said Chaundra Derks, Operations Manager for the building’s owner Steadfast Properties in a press release. “We will do all we can to minimize distractions to our retail and commercial tenants, and hope that the public will continue to support them as well.”

The primary work to be performed is cleaning and rust-proofing the structural steel behind the terra cotta exterior of the fourth floor. Grand Rapids-based restoration contractor D.C. Byers Company will perform the rust-proofing repairs while Illinois-based structural engineering firm Wiss Janney Elstner Associates will oversee the entire project.

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