There were several important architectural changes we improved upon concerning the first floor of 217 Middle St.: #1: Create a front access to the second floor, #2: Remove the back staircase to the second floor, #3: Reinstall a back door of which had been filled in with cinder blocks for security reasons back in the late ’60s, #4: Fire rate in-between the two floors and qualify for a mixed zone commercial/residential use so we could live upstairs and work downstairs.
1.) Front access
2.) Remove back staircase
3.) Back door access
4.) Fire-rate first floor ceiling
We had to remove the wooden 2”x6” supports that held the floor above to the soon to be new ceiling below. We needed to use fire-rated sheet rock in-between all the new metal supports below the 2nd floor and above the soon-to be new 1st floor ceiling. I cannot tell you how difficult this step was. The crew that did the sheet rock soon discovered they severely under bid this fire rated 20’x70’ ceiling. This is the reason it is difficult to create second floor residential spaces. The cost would be astronomical today.
Swiss Bear was already ten years into their 40-year revitalization plan and in February 1994 they began revitalizing the 200 block of Middle St. Our timing was perfect as Swiss Bear was ripping up our street, we were ripping out decades of carpet, tile, paneling, plumbing, walls, multiple ceilings, doors, mold, dirt, asbestos, toilets, an old boiler, and a mountain of cockroach turds, etc., inside 217 Middle St.
As luck would have it, the city was demolishing the old Metropolitan Club on Pollock St. That building had an original 1900s decorative tin ceiling, so in April 1994 we spoke to Public Works director Danny Meadows and we purchased the ceiling from the City of New Bern for $50. We felt it was the deal of the century until we discovered how much work it took to restore. Youth was on our side back in those days.
On a Deadline: We painted the cement floor blue, Joey Pontiff did my signage, and The Crystal Lady LLC, from Jupiter, Florida, officially opened in New Bern at 217 Middle St., for Mumfest 1994.
Swiss Bear was encouraging investors such as ourselves to create second-floor residential spaces above commercial spaces. A dream come true for us. Stay tuned for my next blog post on Swiss Bear’s Revitalization of the 200 block of Middle St. and the woman that made it happen.
All photos copyright Michaelé Rose Watson.
