FGS The Restoration Company offers a range of construction services for both residential and commercial properties. We handle everything from simple additions of small offices to major remodels of big businesses to complete gut jobs of apartments and condominiums. Our project managers are skilled in carpet installation, painting and wallpapering, and they have extensive knowledge with regard to air conditioning and heating, carpentry and roofing, drywall, electrical wiring, fencing, insulation, plumbing and siding. We have limited use of subcontractors, we’re conscious of your budget and we strive for quick turnaround times. A look at some of our work:
Brody Townhomes, Madison
FGS completed renovation of the Brody Townhomes in Madison in March 2015, a $1.65 million project that lasted eight months. Before FGS went to work, the Brody Townhomes were a deteriorating complex with 60 percent vacancy. Now, 20 units that were three bedrooms and 1 ½ bathrooms have been remodeled into units featuring two bedrooms and 2 ½ baths, with significant upgrades, including strengthened roof pitches, new siding, new windows, hard-surface woodgrain flooring throughout first floor living areas and a stainless steel kitchen appliance package. Each unit comes with a full, unfinished basement for storage, as well as a full-size washer and dryer.
M-N-M’s Coffeehouse, Waunakee
FGS finished construction of M-N-M’s Coffeehouse in Waunakee in January 2014, a $197,000 project that lasted 3 ½ months. Outgrowing their previous location, M-N-M’s Coffeehouse wanted to expand their operations in the building that once housed Hellenbrand Water. So FGS built a patio, an ice cream shop and a new hood for the grill in the kitchen, and it installed a new exterior sign, new windows, new flooring, custom cabinets, new electrical, a new HVAC system, new drywall and new framing. The coffeehouse is now open seven days a week, with both breakfast and lunch offerings. “This is a wonderful use of the building, and we’re delighted,” Waunakee Plan Commission president John Laubmeier told The Waunakee Tribune.
1110 Erin St., Madison
FGS reconstructed a century-old house at 1110 Erin St. in Madison in 2000, following an explosion caused by a utility contractor striking an unmarked gas line. The contractor was attempting to replace lead water pipes when the blast blew out the side of the two-story, wood-frame house, leading to a roaring fire that triggered the house’s collapse – four residents and one guest were away at the time, and the lone casualty was a turtle. FGS' parent company, Wisconsin Management Company, had consistently rented the house, largely because of its desirable location in the Vilas neighborhood, but the house had only one bathroom, small closets, no balconies, no garage and no off-street parking. FGS rebuilt the house as a duplex – each side features three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a washer and dryer, central air conditioning, a garage, a deck and a patio.
Beloit Hotel, Beloit
FGS renovated the Beloit Hotel in 2002, restoring the Conrad Hilton Hotel that once housed numerous famous guests, including John F. Kennedy, Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg. The hotel opened in 1904 with 20 rooms, built of vitrified brick, iron, and concrete that was all fireproof. It stood empty for a number of years until a remodel turned the 35,000-square-foot property into 12 apartments – three units are set aside for households earning no more than 50 percent of Rock County median income, a contingency in Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority financing. The renovation also paved the way for Barnes & Noble to operate Turtle Creek Books, the official bookstore of Beloit College, on the ground level, and Blackhawk Technical College uses lower-level space for classes. Wisconsin Management Company benefited from Tax Incremental Financing through the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, funds used for a parking lot and garage adjacent to the building; a Community Development Block Grant through the Wisconsin Department of Administration, funds used for the soft costs of the renovation; and historic tax credits through the National Park Service, funds used to restore the façade to its original appearance, to add doors, windows and trim that replicated the originals and to maintain the original grand hallway and grand staircase. The renovation resulted in awards from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and the Downtown Beloit Association. “The restoration will provide new, exciting housing opportunities for Beloit residents,” said U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville. “The development will also do a great deal to contribute to the further growth of the economic and business communities of downtown Beloit.”
Park Village Apartments, Madison
FGS performed a pair of remodels totaling nearly $300,000 at Park Village Apartments in Madison. The complex’s pool area was converted to a community room, and the clubhouse bathroom was renovated, along with the workout room, business center, and laundry room.
Briarwood Apartments, Madison
FGS made significant upgrades to Briarwood Apartments in Madison in 2002 and 2003, restoring the complex that Wisconsin Management Company purchased out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1993. On the exterior, the roofs were replaced; old wood siding was swapped out for more durable vinyl siding; the balconies were scrapped for new, reinforced ones and the swimming pool was enclosed with a fence for increased safety; and additional landscaping made the property more attractive. Among interior improvements, the kitchens received new cabinets, counter-tops and flooring; the bathroom vanities were replaced, and the common hallways got new carpeting.
Fair Oaks Affordable Living, Adams
FGS finished a major renovation of Fair Oaks Affordable Living in Adams in May 2014, making both interior and exterior improvements. Over nine months, the kitchens and bathrooms of all 91 apartments were remodeled, common areas were modernized and building mechanicals were updated to high-efficiency equipment. It was a $1.45 million project – in the form of a loan that the Adams County Housing Authority secured in 2011 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Multi-Family Housing Preservation and Revitalization program. And with $1 million in debt deferral made possible with assistance from Wisconsin Management Company, the ACHA provided many residents with rent decreases of more than $100.
Kicks Unlimited, Middleton
FGS completed a $36,000 remodel of Kicks Unlimited in Middleton in June 2013, nearly doubling the size of the martial arts school’s facility. Five weeks of modifications included a new exterior awning, new windows, new flooring, electrical work, HVAC alterations, drywall work and framing. Now boasting 6,500 square feet, Kicks Unlimited holds classes six days a week, with six instructors teaching more than 200 children and adults. “This new facility allows us to grow and better serve our clients’ needs now and five years from now,” said Kicks Unlimited owner Mathiam Mbow, a fourth-degree black belt.
Park House Apartments, Madison
FGS gave the Park House Apartments in Madison a major facelift, breathing new life into the property that fell into neglect in the mid-1970s, less than a decade after its construction by Herb Fritz, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Wisconsin Management Company needed to improve and diversify the resident profile after acquiring the 40-unit complex that was in default. New roofs were installed, the siding and concrete were replaced, most decks were repaired or replaced, the exterior was painted and the landscaping was revamped. Plus, energy-efficient windows were installed, along with new flooring, new lighting, new kitchen appliances, new cabinets in the kitchen and the bathrooms and new toilets and faucets in the bathrooms. Wisconsin Management Company worked with WHEDA in the redevelopment, with the contingency that eight apartments be set aside for households earning no more than 50 percent of Dane County median income. “The renovation created better housing opportunities and contributed to further economic growth in the Park Street area,” former Madison alderman Matt Sloan said.
Valley View Apartments, Cross Plains
FGS renovated the Valley View Apartments in Cross Plains, enhancing the appearance and increasing the accessibility of the 16-unit complex for low-income elderly and disabled. An elevator was installed, making it easier for residents to access second-story apartments, and doorknobs were replaced with levers, making the doors easier to open. For increased comfort of the residents, air conditioners were installed in the units, along with energy-efficient windows, and landscaping was added. Also, with Wisconsin Management Company receiving financial assistance from the USDA’s Rural Development department, funds were freed for FGS to repair the roofs and install handicap-accessible doors, bringing the property in compliance with Section 504 regulations set forth by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.