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Final Touches For New Shop

The month of April brought the first hints of spring to Grandfather Mountain. The snow and ice are gone, but the damage caused by the harsh winter are still visible all about. People are occupied all over the mountain getting buildings and property back in presentable order. The same has been the case at the new Top Shop facility.

The winter was a great test for the building and its design. While the site did not sustain much damage, six lightning protection rods were broken off by ice buildup paired with high winds.

Exterior work that stopped for winter picked back up this month. The railings on the bridge to the Bridge are complete and have been painted.

On the interior, the drywall is up and most of it has two coats of paint. The wooden windowsills have been installed as well as the wooden railing in the stairwell. Most of the vinyl tile is down and workers are in the process of finishing the concrete floors. The exposed concrete walls have been stained and finished.

"All of the 'above the ceiling' inspections were completed in April," said Skip Greene of Greene Construction. "This has allowed all the ceiling tile to be installed and as the steel and pipe work is being covered up the finished look is easy to see."

The bathrooms are complete with counters, toilet partitions and necessary accessories.

"One big thing that was completed this month that the public will never see, but should appreciate every time they visit is the water supply system," said Greene. "The facility is served by two different wells which can be used separately or together, depending on the time of the year."

Avery County Building Inspector Tommy Burleson came by in mid-April for a pre-final inspection meeting. The site's architect and supervisors were able to ask Burleson questions and show him around the site. This visit helps them to get ready for the big final inspection.

The month of May will be a big one for the Top Shop: the goal is for the building to be open to the public Memorial Day weekend. During the month, the floors will be completed and all the counters will be set into place. The utility system will receive final trimming, labeling and testing. The exterior stucco work that was stopped in the fall due to rain and temperature will be completed.

Greene Construction and Grandfather Mountain will be working together very closely in May to get the building ready for the public. The plan is for the construction company to complete their necessary tasks on the first floor and then "hand over" the floor to Grandfather in early May so merchandise can be brought in and inventoried. A week later, the second floor should be ready for gift shop occupancy. And then finally the third floor will be ready.

In the end the first floor will have retail space, restrooms, an office, storage space and a loading dock. The second floor will house a snack bar and more retail items and the third floor will showcase a few exhibits and provide access to the bridge to the Bridge. The building is equiped with an elevator, giving handicapped visitors easy access to the Swinging Bridge area for the first time.

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