Four-panel sliders were part of the 51,000 square feet of glass replaced at Ariel.
The largest and most expensive repair at Ariel, the 18-story high rise building in The Landings, has been completed. This monumental project alone required almost two years of work, and more than $5.5 million, to restore the damage done by Hurricane Ian.
What was the repair? Nearly 51,000 square feet of glass in the building was replaced with glass rated to withstand hurricane force winds of 175 mph. There are a total of 563 openings in the building that had to be replaced. They were comprised of 275 two-panel sliders, 14 three-panel sliders, 246 four-panel sliders and 28 exterior windows.
$400,000 Insurance Reduction
The benefit of these repairs is that not only is the building equipped with glass that meets today’s highest standards, but the improvement has cut the insurance costs for the building by $400,000 annually. Given Florida’s expensive insurance costs, this improvement will pay for itself not only in dollars, but in the comfort that owners enjoy knowing that their building has been substantially upgraded.
In addition to all the glass in the building, major expenditures were made in other areas. The three elevators (two passenger and one service elevator) have been repaired, the roof was completely replaced, and a new fire pump was installed. The entire second floor that houses the management office, four guest suites, a huge community room, a card room/library, a gym, and a game room with two pool tables, four classic video games, and a ping pong table have all been restored also.
John Berkaw led the seven-member Board during Hurricane Ian. He found a great public adjuster who was responsible for working with the insurance companies to ensure that Ariel received the money it was due because of the ferocious hurricane. The current Board, led by Chris Duca, has managed the funds and bidding processes carefully with the help of our management team. As a result, insurance proceeds covered all the repairs.
Just one major project remains for Ariel. The building will be painted inside and out this year now that all the repairs have been made. All the owners are pleased that they are nearing the end of this laborious process and look forward to the day that all is done.
