We've owned the property at 7 Mill St in Sodus for nearly two months now and much has happened. We've had Trevor and Chris on site for the work, as well as Steady Work on multiple occasions, and James from Rose Valley Construction. Trevor & Christina even had their kids stop in to sweep the floors. :) From the outside it may not seem so, but we've been hard at work. The unfortunate truth is that the building has not only been neglected for over two years, it's been ruined. The roof has been leaking for well over two years, with water making it's way through the apartment, tavern, and into the basement. There hasn't been running water for months, the plumbing drains have been cut, apartment sinks draining into buckets, ceilings falling, floors missing(actual subfloor, not just carpet or vinyl)...it's a disaster.
Here's a summary of some of the things we've done so far:
- We have electricity! We had to sort out a couple of issues and now we're powered up.
- Cleared trees and shrubs from behind the building
- Cleared trash form the property and the neighboring property
- Removed outdated and not working equipment
- Gutted walk in cooler to rebuild
- Cleared Basement, installed new light sockets, and repaired broken water lines
- Cleared second story. Approximately 12k pounds removed of furnishing, garbage, and appliances from the second story apartment.
- Built a concrete block wall to close in the foundation
- Roof work began 6/14
While we have finally made it to the phase where we can work to build, repair, and create, we are very much still in the evaluation and diagnosing phase. We knew this project would be a case of "it gets worse as you dig deeper", but wow...it sure got worse.
On June 6th we entered the second story for the first time. We won't share details and too much imagery, but here's what was revealed structurally after clearing the contents alongside the Steady Work crew. Ceilings are falling down, light fixtures are taped to what's left of the ceiling, only one window is not broken, many sections of floor have been cut out and covered with carpet, scrap boards, pieces of luan...it's a real mess but we're ready to fix it up properly. The stairs have to come down anyway due to where they are built, but we also needed to reattach railings just to safely clear the apartment. The next step upstairs is to gut it to the studs, rewire, install new plumbing, and repurpose to fit our vision...which is still a secret. ;)
The basement was a relatively simply area to clean. We removed five refrigeration compressors, shelving, trash, bottles, and installed new light fixtures. We also built the block wall to close off the old keg delivery access. The steel cover outside the building is rotted almost completely through, so rather than replacing unnecessarily, we are filling the void and pouring a concrete pad to match the sidewalk. Still to be done, is clean up the mess of electrical and water lines that have been added, spliced, and capped fro many years. Our goal is to make this space clean, simple to understand and troubleshoot, and easy to maintain.
Lastly on the list of mentionable updates...the roof! We have begun the roof work. James from Rose Valley Construction is taking lead on the project, and we're thrilled to have a solid, watertight roof system in place in just a few short days. Once we're leak-free from above we can begin interior work. We'll post a couple pictures to try and depict the condition, but they really don't do it justice. This project is long overdue, and it's finally getting done. No color or material reveals here, you'll have to drive by and check it out next week! To be clear, however, it will look a bit odd at first. Remember, the storefront facade will change, siding, etc....it will come together! :)
Thanks for following along! We have so much work still ahead of us, but we're thrilled to do it. We're out to create a quality community space for people to enjoy. This projected is fully funded by the daily sales of our current business. We're paying for things as we can, there's no massive savings account for this project. If you'd like to support the work here to create this coffeehouse in the Sodus community, we appreciate the business at the Roastery & Drive-thru, Sodus Point Coffee Truck, and our mobile coffee trailer! You an also save 10% off online only through July 1st by using promo code MILLCOFFEE at www.imprintcoffeeroasting.com and receive free local delivery, flat-rate shipping, and in-store pickup!
We love you all and are so grateful.
Trevor, Christina, & the Imprint Coffee Roasting Team