The Christman Co.

Architect:

Tise-Kiester Architects

Scope Of Work

A cherished but long neglected facility with little hope for future use, the historic Cascade Saloon in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina is located in the city’s S. Elm Street Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Christman Capital Development Company, in partnership with Preservation Greensboro Development Fund, Inc. and the City of Greensboro successfully transformed the structure into The Christman Company’s new regional office. As part of this effort, the team focused on maintaining the historic fabric of the building while creating a vibrant workplace to build upon the storied role that it has played in Greensboro history and further engage the south end of downtown.

The redevelopment and rehabilitation of the obsolete building, once labeled “unsalvageable,” has created a modern, functional office space out of the nineteenth century watering hole while respecting and retaining its historic fabric and character. It is hoped the vibrancy of the renewed building will help it reclaim its position among Greensboro’s most memorable and distinctive landmark buildings while serving as a catalyst to further engage the south end of downtown.

Renovations to the three-story building located at an urban crossroads presented significant technical challenges to the construction team. Operating between two busily functioning railroad tracks adjacent to the site, stabilization of the historic masonry structure, working with extremely limited space for construction materials and deliveries, and replication of the historic exterior cornice were just some of the key project challenges that the team overcame. A construction approach of “building a ship in a bottle” was used to erect a new support structure inside the historic brick walls. 

A true public-private partnership, the project received financial support from the City of Greensboro, Preservation Greensboro Development Fund, Inc., Downtown Greensboro, Inc., and The Covington Foundation, as well as federal and state historic tax credits and financing from First Citizens Bank.