Our next Renovation Happy Hour will be held on Monday August 1st, 6-8pm at 216 Park.

We will be looking at this fascinating historic apartment building, much of it still viewable in its pre-renovation state, and will then do a follow up visit in a few months when it is completed.

Our hosts will be Mark Cooper and Jesus Calvo.

As always, the East Row will provide refreshments. You are welcome to bring additional food and beverages if you would like to contribute.

Join us to view the work that needs to be done and learn about the plans for the renovation. You are also encouraged to linger and enjoy connecting with your neighbours.

Please be aware that there is no parking on the street in front .

Casa Calvo West

The apartment building was constructed by in 1926 by L. Wilson, architect, of Newport for John W Wetzel.  The apartment featured a walk-in garage so that the owner’s family could walk directly into the basement and up the back stairs to their apartment without braving the elements. Each apartment also very uniquely features its own street access front door.

The initial construction plans include write-ups about possibly “enclosing the solariums” as an add-on and from the looks of the floor this appears to have been completed during the build or soon thereafter.  These now serve as second bedrooms or offices.

The building gained only it’s third owners in 2021.  Mark Cooper and Jesus Calvo purchased the building mainly to have control over who would be living in the building that borders their home’s backyard.  While they had good neighbors, they feared the building might sell to an investment group that would not care about various nuisances or upkeep.  Once purchased, they were surprised by the good bones of building and developed the goal to protect the historic value building, inside and out.  One example:  While many recommended mini-splits, exposed heating ducts, and such, they had the HVAC run through the attic and basement to better maintain each room’s historic character.

When three of the four tenants decided to leave in the months after the purchase and the fourth was already house shopping, the new owners decided to take the opportunity and close the building July 1, 2021, and do a full remodel.   

For this building, the owners decided to focus on a renovation that suited those who appreciate historic buildings, want longer term housing, and want to become a part of the East Row community.

The owners have named it Casa Calvo West. The story behind this is that in 2000, Jesus's parents completed a historic restoration of a 17th century farmhouse and converted it into a rural hotel located on the Camino de Santiago in Galica Spain.  They named it Casa Calvo as it had been in the Calvo family for centuries.

Changes include:

·       Exterior electric conduits and cable wiring eliminated from the front of the building

·       Installation of 16 SEER HVAC system

·       Installation of 38 solar panels

·       All new plumbing

·       All new electric

·       Gutting the low quality 70s bathroom remodel

·       Restoring the 3 remaining kitchen workstations while removing the kitchen floors’ layers of linoleum.

·       Bathroom wall is 18 inches deep to provide for plumbing and expanded bathroom cabinetry

·       Vinyl Solarium windows to be replaced in late September with historical-approved Anderson windows.  Three bathroom windows to be replaced given they are now a part of the showers

·       Remainder of windows will have historic approved Allied Storm windows

·       Ceilings of bottom floors will have dense pack insulation and resilient channel double ceilings to reduce noise between the units.  Dense insulation will also be installed between bathroom and bedroom wall.

·       Garage will include two parking garage spaces with electric car charging options.

·       Parking lot and possible private park for adults in the neighborhood in the adjoining lots.