Window work moves forward downtown

By David Skolnick

The initial work is being done so East Federal Street can reopen.

YOUNGSTOWN — After a bit of a slow start, work is progressing to reinstall windows at the historic Stambaugh Building.

Though employees with All American Window and Door, the Cleveland company hired by Stambaugh owner Louis A. Frangos, began work Friday, the reinstallation didn’t kick into high gear until Monday.

“They were experimenting Friday” to find the best way to put back the windows, Brenda Williams, the city’s chief building official, said of All American workers. The company brought in materials for the work to the building in the heart of downtown and “Once they get moving, they’ll get on a roll.”

The All American crews are staying at a hotel in the area to work longer shifts through Thursday and then return next Monday after the long holiday weekend, said Bill Sperlazza, Frangos’ local development project manager.

Sperlazza said he expects the work on the building’s south side to be done by Thursday. Williams is less optimistic, saying she is hopeful the work on the south side will be done by next Tuesday.

“They’re going to work at it as hard as they can,” Sperlazza said.

Once those windows are reinstalled, the city can reopen East Federal Street.

The company, being paid $61,700 for the work, will then move to the western side of the building. That work should take about two weeks and allow the city to reopen the plaza area near the building.

The city closed the street and plaza June 5 when a window being removed by Frangos’ employees crashed onto Federal Street as Williams watched.

At the time of that incident, 370 of the 531 windows on the upper 12 floors of the 13-story building were removed without city permission.

Frangos had employees remove the windows May 28 after two fell from the rear of the building.

Frangos wanted to remove the windows and replace them with plywood. After city officials refused that proposal, the two sides agreed to have Frangos hire a company to reinstall the windows. Fewer than 10 of the glass windows are beyond repair. Those will be replaced by plastic glass.

As part of the agreement, the windows that weren’t removed by Frangos’ employees will be taken out, repaired and reinstalled, Williams said.

The work was to take up to eight weeks.

“I’m pleased with the technique and the work being done,” Williams said.

Frangos purchased the 11,250-square-foot building March 6, 2006. Its only tenant is Buffalo Wild Wings.

Meanwhile, a company hired by Frangos will begin to tear the roof off of Realty Towers later this week as part of an $8.3 million renovation of the Central Federal Street building, Sperlazza said.

Frangos plans to turn the vacant building into a 25-unit high-end apartment complex.

A scaffold from the ground to the roof of the 13-story building should be in place this week, Sperlazza said.

skolnick@vindy.com