February 2017
I
t was big news two weeks ago when Allan and Sallie Sandler, owner of the 139-year-old Masonic Lodge Building on the Plaza in Ashland, announced that they were adding a balcony to the third floor. It would be the largest project done on the Plaza in the last twenty-five years.
How do you attach a 304 square foot balcony to the third floor of a building that was built in 1878? Apparently, very carefully, especially if you want the balcony to retain the architectural integrity and historical significance of the building. Sandler and his tenant, Marco Traversa of the Granite Taphouse, have worked closely with the architect on the design.
“In 1909, the second floor was enlarged as an assembly room,” Traversa said. “The third floor was added in 1929 by architect Frank Chamberlain Clark, who also designed the remodeled second floor in a Georgian style. Clark was also the architect for Ashland High School.”
Sandler, who listens closely to the needs and desires of his tenants, is also responsible for the balcony and second floor addition that gave us Martino’s twenty years ago. When Traversa came to him with the proposal for a balcony last year, Sandler thought it was a great idea.
“Granite Taphouse is one of the best fine dining establishments in Ashland,” Sandler said. “The atmosphere is relaxing, it has a nice bar, and there are great views of the Plaza and the surrounding hills from the big windows. What it was lacking was outdoor seating in the spring, summer and fall, and a lot of people were wanting to sit outside on nice days.”
When finished, the balcony will be able to seat 28 people, and the views will be fantastic. Construction on the project began two weeks ago, and Sandler hopes to have it completed by March. He recognizes that the sidewalk closure, the noise and dust will be inconvenient for the building’s current residents, and he wants to remind everyone that it will be “business as usual” for the next three months.
The businesses affected are Gold & Gems Fine Jewelry (on the first floor); Thread Hysteria, a women’s clothing story on the first and second floors; Enoteca by EdenVale, on the first and second floors with a wine-tasting room on both floors; Loft American Brasserie and Bar, on the first and second floors, with an entrance at ground level near Guanajuato Way or accessed by the elevator; Ex Nihilo, a new restaurant off Guanajuato Way featuring Pan-Latin inspired flavors to open by early February; and of course, Granite Taphouse on the third floor, accessible by stairs or elevator.
For more information about the project, call Allan Sandler at 541-488-2025
