![Shaved, but Saved | by [jonrev]](http://staging-jubilee.flickr.com/8481/8171600752_aaf1c772de.jpg)
Shaved, but Saved
The most-significant change made to the exterior of the Karcher Building was the loss of the terracotta along the roof edge. It's a small loss compared to what, apparently, could have been.
Unfortunately, it sounds like after 28 years without proper maintenance, the decorative terracotta was hanging-on by literally a thread... to the point where, following examination of its structural integrity, some workers were afraid to walk on the sidewalk below. While the terracotta itself sounded to be mostly intact, it proved too costly to safely re-install. The building, I'm told, was in far-worse shape than originally believed and a majority of the renovation efforts went into just stabilizing it.
Karcher Hotel / Karcher Artspace Lofts -- Waukegan, IL -- 10/20/12
Shaved, but Saved
The most-significant change made to the exterior of the Karcher Building was the loss of the terracotta along the roof edge. It's a small loss compared to what, apparently, could have been.
Unfortunately, it sounds like after 28 years without proper maintenance, the decorative terracotta was hanging-on by literally a thread... to the point where, following examination of its structural integrity, some workers were afraid to walk on the sidewalk below. While the terracotta itself sounded to be mostly intact, it proved too costly to safely re-install. The building, I'm told, was in far-worse shape than originally believed and a majority of the renovation efforts went into just stabilizing it.
Karcher Hotel / Karcher Artspace Lofts -- Waukegan, IL -- 10/20/12