Renovation update: Q3 2026
Things slow down... then speed up
Summer was largely marked by more delays, with our contractors having to redo some previous work that had been completed incorrectly. Earlier in the year, we found that a significant amount of water was still coming in through one of the walls in our farm, even after the roof had been replaced. Worse, water was collecting behind it and creating potential issues in the future. Had this not been corrected, chances were good we would have mold growing in the walls of our farm in a few years, or even sooner.
Before and after (in process) on the historic bricks -- in some spots there were three layers of paint and graffiti
Tuck pointing historical bricks
The bricks on the outside of the firehouse are both original and beautiful, but over the decades had been covered by graffiti, paint, and pollution. Our masons cleaned this up using a non-VOC cleaning product. In some spots, they ended up taking off multiple layers of paint and graffiti that had built up over the years (all of which predated Plant Chicago moving in to the building). The bricks are also a kind that are not made anymore. We worked with the mason to select bricks that looked the most similar to the existing ones, knowing that there could end up being a few spots that looked different than the others.
Then the masons ground out the old mortar, noting that it is likely that at least two sides of the building may never have been tuck pointed since it was first built in 1908! The original style of bricklaying kept the bricks tight to each other, much closer than what we are used to see in most "common brick" faces in Chicago. This thin mortar joint potentially helped the walls survive this lack of maintenance.
Adding new mortar to the exterior will increase the life of the brick, reduce water infiltration and even improve insulation. In previous winters, there were sections of these walls where we could feel a small breeze coming through when the wind was just right. We are looking forward to cozier cold seasons in the future.
Chicken coop - protecting the flock!
Our chickens are lovely... but they can also attract a lot of other urban wildlife. Various predators, from opossums, raccoons and even hawks, have stalked them before. The naturally messy nature of chickens also has the effect of attracting less desirable urban wildlife like rodents and pesky sparrows, both of whom like to sneak in to steal their food.
Eric worked with volunteers over the course of the summer to help reinforce the protections around the coop, installing metal flashing around the base of fences to prevent rodents and full netting around the enclosure to
stop the sparrows from flying in. The chickens now have their own aviary to themselves!
We forgot one window...
During the last renovation update we mentioned that we had new windows, wbut we forgot to mention that we had one very sepcial window installed inside our building. Yes. we have a window that looks from one side of building to the other. Specifically, a window that will allows visitors in our retail space to look directly into our Indoor Victory Garden to see all of the plants growing!
Upcoming work
While from the outside our building is looking fantastic, there is still a lot left to do indoors. We have to redo some work that the previous owner performed to repair termite damage, the bathrooms need to get up and running, recirculating water systems completed, new HVAC, and well as a new concrete floor for the indoor victory garden. There are a lot of other final touches, from overhead doors to lighting that also have to happen. Contractors are picking up the pace, so we are optimistic that we will be nearing the end of this renovation!
It’s not too late to support the only shared indoor community garden in Back of the Yards! Donors of $500 or more can choose to have their donation memorialized in our Firehouse by adorning an interior glazed brick with their name.
