Demolition at the Lazy K: Tearing down walls and building TCW in Columbia
Well, folks. It has begun!
We spent two weeks with Steve Sensenig of Revolution Concept tearing down walls, ripping up floors, and finding all sorts of treasures at the Lazy K, the future home of The Common Wheel in Columbia!
16 volunteers, from teenagers to septuagenarians, joined us to make the work go very quickly. The building is now prepped and ready to be painted, have floors refinished and re-laid, and bathrooms with a floor pitched at a comical angle that will be rebuilt, we are ready to get to work. Have I mentioned that our vastly multi-talented staff helped out with the project too? They didn’t want to miss out on the fun!
The bathrooms are our biggest project. When we initially looked at the building, we had anticipated only installing one bathroom and partitioning off space for a closet/utility sink scenario. After spending more time in the space and seeing what we really were working with we were able to realize a kind of dream goal, to have two fully functioning bathrooms with one having a shower in it for employee use. This is really important to us because we want to encourage employees to utilize their bikes as their main form of transportation as much as possible or utilize RRTA, which has fantastic service between Lancaster and Columbia. It will also allow us to apply to be a Bicycle Friendly Business at a higher level through the League of American Cyclists. Amenities like these are ones we advocate for in places of business all the time, and it is one we hope to provide and are happy the reality is coming true.
In the coming months, we’ll be welcoming CareerLink apprentices to assist with the rest of the buildout. We also hope to continue to work with volunteer groups, scout troops, and various other entities to continue to make the Lazy K, no wait, The Common Wheel in Columbia (it’s a hard habit to break, folks!) a truly community-built endeavor.
Keep following along for more updates, pictures, and thoughts and we continue on this journey!
A view of the Lazy K
Ed
Ed is in his 70s but ripping down a wall is no big deal for him!
Jay’s Lounge Coin
Jay’s Lounge was the bar before the Lazy K
Good for One Liquor!
The fun stuff you find hidden places at the Lazy K!
Kayla knocking down the cabinetry
Kayla knocking down the middle cabinetry that we no longer needed.
Mac Working
Mac doing work!
Working Men
All the dudes tearing things up.
Ed being the man
Ed going hard at that wall.
Mac removing things
Mac removes a non-functioning outlet.
Ian
Ian is getting ready to demo some of the floor.
Front entrance
Ed’s handiwork.
Steve
Steve builds new stairs for the basement!
Nico
Longtime volunteer, Nico brings up the rotted steps from the basement.
Caleb
Board Member Caleb helps empty various materials from the basement.
Mike again
Mike is using all of his might to take down the bathroom walls.
Mike
Volunteer Mike rips down the wall in the bathroom.
Bathroom Wall
The bathroom wall says “Jay 1978” and behind the styrofoam “insulation” it says “19”. Perhaps Jay was a football player and was number 19? The investigation is ongoing!
JH sanding
Former Board Member John Hursh is sanding the walls for painting. John worked for his family’s painting company for many years growing up.
View of the front door
Opened up the area near the front door. It’s much more inviting!
Mac’s Selfie
Look at all the work that got done only two days in!
Mae Using Power Tools
Mae cutting out floor supports.