River Oaks Apartments
Project Scope: Apartment complex renovation
Location: La Crosse, Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corporation (WHPC) turned to Friede & Associates to renovate 48 units of the River Oaks Apartments in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The Section 8 multi-family apartments are designed for low- to middle-income tenants. Mark Van Den Broeke, the WHPC construction project manager, wanted Friede & Associates to renovate the units with the tenants in place to limit the amount of disruption.
Friede embraced the challenge. Like a well-oiled machine, a Friede team of four workers plus a subcontracted plumber and electrician took only one day to renovate each unit. That feat required close coordination and extreme attention to detail. The crews removed old kitchen cabinets and installed new ones during the one-day marathon session. They also installed new countertops, sinks, and LED light fixtures. In the bathrooms, they put in new vanities and a bath light and fan combination. Front and storage unit doors as well as new sleeves for air conditioners also were installed.
We dealt with a compressed timeframe because of the delayed delivery of 615 cabinets and countertops. The manufacturer was supposed to deliver the materials to the site. But with all the delays and back orders, Friede took delivery at its headquarters in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. The team then loaded three semi-trailers and delivered them to the appropriate River Oaks buildings. The team also took the time to sort out the assorted sizes of cabinets and countertops, including standard sizes of cabinets as well as corner and upper cabinets.
Despite delays associated with materials delivery, the Friede team converted all the units in six buildings in 48 days. The crew worked from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. four days a week. Work began in April 2022 and was completed in July 2022. Before working on the units' interiors, Friede rebuilt the decks in Fall 2021 under a separate contract.
This project was recognized by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) of Wisconsin as a 2022 Silver Project of Distinction.