Pacific Builders was selected as the general contractor for the historic renovation and major seismic upgrade to the Carson Block Building in Old Town, Eureka.
The 46,000 sq. ft. cornerstone, building was constructed in 1892 for lumber baron William Carson. The building was the first of its kind in Eureka and included professional offices, large retail spaces, and the 837 seat Ingomar Theatre, one of the most ornate theaters of its time on the West Coast.
In 1986, The Northern California Indian Development Council (NCIDC) purchased the building for its’ main offices and began preparation to take on the hefty restoration project. At that time, new state legislation required earthquake safety retrofits for unreinforced masonry buildings and this became NCIDC’s priority, along with restoration of the historic façade and some minor interior improvements. Over the next several years, funding sources were identified and in 2014, the first phase of a multi-million dollar project was launched.
Pacific Builders was initially hired to complete the seismic upgrade and replacement of the roof area only. At the completion of that effort, NCIDC again chose Pacific Builders as the contractor to complete the whole-building structural seismic retro fit, restore the façade to its early 20th century appearance and complete various interior improvements, including upgrades to the 2nd and 3rd floors, as well as a new 1st floor mezzanine, office and retail spaces. Much of the work consists of undoing the 1920s "modernization” of the building, when the façade was covered with stucco, the theater was disassembled and cut in half and one of the turrets was removed from the building.
Work was completed, with Pacific Builders coordinating the work of historic renovation experts and a full team of subcontractors, all working under the direction of Architect John Sergio Fisher and Associates, Inc., Page & Turnbull, an architectural historical preservation firm and CYS Structural Engineers, Inc. It was completed in 2016.
The finished façade resembles the building’s appearance c. 1917.
