Creative Door Teams Up for a Downtown Restoration

Once located in the heart of downtown Edmonton, Alberta, the historic Kelly Ramsey buildings were the result of an innovative partnership between a blacksmith and an entrepreneur. The blacksmith, John Kelly, built the brick buildings and leased them to James Ramsey, the owner of a local department store. Tragically, the buildings were destroyed in 2009 by a fire that ravaged the original brick structures.

In October 2016, the fire-damaged properties rose from the ashes and reopened as Enbridge Centre after extensive reconstruction and restoration to preserve the original historic charm. With 25 floors of office space and a first-floor lobby housing restaurant and commercial leasing opportunities, Enbridge Centre is now one of the city's largest office buildings.

Considering the buildings' past, enhanced fire codes and building regulations were enforced during the rebuild. Meeting these strict regulations meant the installation of three fire-resistant doors on the Centre's third floor. In the event of a fire, they'll help prevent flames from spreading throughout the building.

The challenge? With construction of the building well underway, the doors needed to be carefully maneuvered into the building through a window three storeys above the bustling street below.

With specialized crews and a variety of logistical resources, Creative Door Services worked closely with Ledcor Construction to solve for the complex installation. Our Edmonton team sourced three Raynor Firecoil rolling steel fire doors, measuring up to 20 feet by 12 feet in size and weighing between 2,200 and 3,500 pounds each. With the help of Ledcor, a crane was used to hoist the doors 40 feet high and in through the window.

As the new Enbridge Centre is located on one of Edmonton's primary pedestrian walkways in the middle of a central business district, the area was blocked off for six hours during the tedious installation in order to ensure the safety of the public.

"Creative Door has a great deal of experience in complex industrial and commercial installations, but this project was truly unique," says Charles Proctor, commercial sales associate at the Creative Door Edmonton branch. "It's a restored building with a lot of history living in those walls, so it was important to approach the installation strategically to preserve the building's integrity and keep everyone on site safe."

Are you interested in learning more about the commercial services offered by Creative Door in Edmonton? Visit www.creativedoor.com/edmonton or contact us for more information.