Introduction: Parker Flats Hard Hat Tour Photos

I went to see the progress on Parker Flats, http://parkerflats.com, a near-complete condo conversion in Ledroit Park during a hard hat tour last weekend. They have made a ton of progress turning a 100+ year old, abandoned and collapsing elementary school building into several dozen beautiful condominiums with a number of original details.

The attention to detail on this renovation was very evident and construction quality felt extremely solid. Pictures from this tour are posted following this introduction.

Note you can click on these pictures for larger versions

Parker Flats: Aerial Before View

This aerial view shows the school yard and school as it stood before renovation. 2nd St NW runs across the lower part of this picture. Note the roof had caved in (see picture under cupola below [/url]to see how this was repaired). Lot to the left was dug down three stories, filled with a parking garage, and now a large condo building is nearing completion on the former recess field.

Parker Flats: Main Staircase

The renovated Parker Flats retains its original stone and metal stairway (2 of them, actually). This is the view up from the main first-floor lobby. Note 10' wooden arched window - the quality of this construction job is great.

Parker Flats: Top Of Main Staircase

This picture is the top landing of the stairway - the room through the doorway is below the main cupola of the building.

Parker Flats: Neighborhood View

This view to the Northeast shows the flat roof of Flagler Place condominiums and the peaks of Bloomingdale beyond.

Parker Flats: Penthouse Condominium

One of the top-floor apartments - there are four surrounding the main cupola. Note vaulted ceiling, skylight, and intricate plaster job.

Parker Flats: Huge Windows + Exposed Brick

Second floor condominium with 10' windows and cleaned, pointed historic brick wall

Parker Flats: Landscape Contour Foam

The courtyard between the original and new condo units was completely dug out, a garage built underneath, then sheets of 4" thick styrofoam were laid out and cut to approximate the desired new contour. These were then covered with dirt, presumably to be landscaped. You can see the styrofoam used to create a light weight contour under this stairway.

Parker Flats: Exterior Renovation Instructions

A blueprint was laying open in one of the units to a page listing the general exterior renovations - thorough and professional.

Parker Flats: Another Original Switch

This switch is in one of the basement units. The brick around it had not yet been cleaned, as the upstairs areas had. Overall the basement was the least complete; the top two floors were essentially done.

Parker Flats: Original Detail

In several places, the renovation had cleaned original switchplates and switches and left them in the exposed brick. This is at the ground floor stairwall.

Parker Flats: Inside Cupola

Another example of keeping original materials is the combination of two original and two new laminated beams supporting the peak under the cupola. Some of that peak had previously been collapsed, so the renovators apparently have cut out all damaged original beams and rebuilt with newer technology. It looked solid.

Parker Flats: Original And New

In some areas, original wood was re-used. Much of it was replaced with new materials, and the re-used portions were never damaged in any way that I saw.

Parker Flats: First Floor Windows

Enormous (10 feet or so), striking wooden windows matching original arched tops on the first floor front.

Parker Flats: Unit Entrances

First and second floor units adjoining common areas at each staircase are entered through a new-construction extension jutting out into original brick hallway.