Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/721677
10 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016 S E P T E M B E R / O C T O B E R | 2 0 1 6 { BUZZ } Project update T HE ELEVATOR MODERNIZATION PROJECT is scheduled to kick off in mid-September. The motors for the three main high-rise cars and the service car, all original to the Clubhouse's 1929 construction, will be replaced. Each car will close for approximately 13 weeks, one at a time. During the yearlong project, three of the four cars will always remain in service. Longer wait times are expected during high-use times at the Club, and members are asked to take the stairs as they are able. New signage and directories will help members and guests determine which stairwells to take. At press time, the service elevator was scheduled to be updated first. When the project is complete, the new elevators will be quicker and quieter. They will also operate with new controls that streamline member movement between floors. "After almost a year of planning and preparation, we are excited to get started on this much needed and very worthwhile improvement," Vice President Operations Bill Cohen says. During the project, the low-rise elevators behind the welcome desk and the grand staircase will be the best ways to travel between Floors 1–3, including to Torchy's, Hagerty's, the Crystal Ballroom, and other banquet rooms. Travel between athletic floors and the Sports Café will be fastest using the internal center stairs, which run from the basement to the Top of the WAC. For the latest updates on projects around the Club, visit wac.net/club-projects. Showstopping stairs T HE WAC'S NEWLY REMODELED GRAND STAIRCASE is getting rave reviews. The main stairway between Floors 1–3 will also be getting a lot more use in the year ahead. The Elevator Modernization Project begins in mid-September. During the yearlong project, the grand staircase will be the best way to move between the Club's first three floors. Better lighting, coved ceilings, and a rotating art gallery will help the steps pass easily. Former WAC Chairman and art collector Jeff Atkin is spearheading the gallery's curation. The first artist showing is former WAC employee Gregory Blackstock. His drawings have gained international acclaim since his two-decade career as a WAC dishwasher. Done with pencils, crayons and markers, Blackstock's art catalogs the world through the eyes of an autistic savant. The collection, installed in late July, is on loan from the Greg Kucera Gallery in Pioneer Square. An artist's reception, with Blackstock scheduled to attend, will take place from 5:30–7 pm on Wednesday, September 21. To reserve for the complimentary event, email clubprograms@wac.net. Elevator Modernization Project " During the yearlong project, three of the four cars will always remain in service." MORE TO EXPLORE Read our previous articles for more information on the elevator project. • Project FAQs: wac.net/elevator-FAQs, July/August WAC Magazine • Elevator history and project introduction: wac.net/elevator-introduction, May/June WAC Magazine A N I TA N O WA C K A