The Union is starts to see progression with a new patio and more
Eight months after the fire on Union Street, plans for a new design at The Union Bar & Grill are in place.
Although the roof was finished during the summer and advances are being made, there is no set date for a grand reopening, said Eric Gunn, the owner of The Union on West Union Street.
“When dealing with an old building, you can’t say definitely because when you open up one thing you often find other work that needs to be done to get it to where it needs to be,” Gunn said.
The Union’s current restoration process has been advancing a little slower than Gunn anticipated. He said he expected the progress to be further along by the time students returned to Athens, but that isn’t the case.
Lead contractor of the project Mike Myers of Mike Myers Construction, ran into some unexpected problems related to water damage during the initial stages of rebuilding.
“We had to remove virtually all wall coverings, floor covers,” Myers said. “In the process of doing that, we found that a good portion of the floor joists were rotten so we had to replace almost half of the joists on the first floor.”
After the roof was finished, he said, architectural drawings were completed and preliminary demolition inside the building began. After a mold problem is resolved in the next two weeks, a new construction stage can begin where schedules can be established, Myers said.
Changes will be made to the original design on the building to meet modern building codes, Myers said.
“The whole back building is completely remodeled and rearranged to accommodate a concrete patio for The Union for the second floor,” Myers said.
The large concrete patio will be partially covered and helps the building meet modern codes, Myers said, by providing a secondary exit into the alley way. He said the patio will be almost as large as the patio at Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery down the street.
Other changes include new bathrooms in different locations and the second floor bar being relocated, Myers added.
While there are changes to the layout and everything will be brand new inside, Gunn said. The Union will maintain the same atmosphere.
“I like to tell everybody, when we open up and you walk in, you’ll know exactly where you are,” Gunn said.
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