Document text
By Damian Mann Mail Tribune October 13. 2014 6:32PM Former aviator is sky-high over Manor renovations Rogue Valley Manor begins its $8 million project to replace windows, change building's color, and add new air conditioning and heating systems. A construction crew works on the $8 million renovation of the Rogue Valley Manor on Tuesday. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell A former aviator who used to fly into Medford, Stan Luther still has a bird’s-eye view of the Rogue Valley from the top of Barneburg Hill. “I love it so much, I never put the blinds up,” the 87-year-old resident of the Rogue Valley Manor said. “You can see the beautiful Rogue Valley with the golf course and the airport runway.” Luther is the first Manor resident to see the results of an $8 million renovation that will transform the iconic building with its turquoise panels. Sitting on the top floor, Luther held an open house on Saturday to show off his new windows and wooden bookshelves that disguise the new heating and air conditioning system. He said about 300 residents showed up. “I had too much fun,” he said. All the exterior windows are being removed one floor at a time so that Adroit Construction Co. can replace the old, single-glazed windows with more efficient windows. The new heating and air conditioning should cut utility bills by up to 30 percent. Luther said the workers carefully covered all his furniture and carpeting, and the end result is that he can’t even tell there’s been construction in his apartment. His U.S. Air Force memorabilia still hangs on the wall along with oil paintings of his relatives from the 1800s. The turquoise panels are being replaced with more earth-tone colors, similar to the Manor Terrace to the south, a five-story, 120,000-square-foot building. In 2010, the Manor completed a $65 million construction project that included the Terrace. Luther, who has lived at the Manor for 10 years, said he prefers the new colors. “Now they won’t think we’re part of the VA dom (Veterans Affairs domiciliary in White City),” he said. In June 1958, the cost of construction was estimated at $5.79 million for the 246,000 square feet of the main Manor building. The price included the cost of the land, roads/utilities, architect and engineering fees, landscaping, and miscellaneous contingencies. The building was completed in 1961. Lisa Mandell, Manor marketing director, said the construction will probably continue until January or February 2016. She said a few Manor residents say they will miss the old turquoise color. “An overwhelming number say they welcome the new colors,” Mandell said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or email [email protected]. Follow on Twitter at @reporterdm. http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20141013/NEWS/141019842 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->