Intro

Donnell Ford

Part of a family of auto dealers in the Youngstown, Ohio area, Donnell Ford has had a long history in its current facility.   In 2019, the dealership’s showroom was destroyed in a fire.  With the fire damage in the showroom and smoke and water damage in other areas, Phillips|Sekanick Architects, inc. was called in to review the condition of the building.   In cooperation with the insurance company, contractor and consulting engineers, a demolition and reconstruction plan was quickly put in place. Working with Ford Motors, the Phillips|Sekanick design team developed plans to rebuild the destroyed areas and renovate those areas damaged by the fire. A second phase of renovations are currently in the planning stages.

Details

Donnell Ford

Challenge

An early morning fire left the existing showroom destroyed and much of the Parts and Sales areas seriously damaged.  A fire wall separating the showroom from other parts of the facility was damaged and the roof and floor joists of the Parts Department were potentially exposed to heat damage.  The fire, occurring in the middle of winter, exposed other parts of the remaining facility to the cold.  Restrooms servicing part of the remaining building were damaged and made unusable. Through a collaborative process, Phillips|Sekanick Architects and the Owner’s general contractor were charged with developing a plan to allow the dealership to resume sales while the reconstruction of the showroom was able to be planned.  

Solution

Working with the Owner’s contractor, The Stoy Group, Phillips|Sekanick Architects was able to get immediate access to the project site to determine the scope of the new work.  With heat, water and smoke damage affecting all areas of the showroom, Phillips|Sekanick Architects worked quickly with our consultants to develop a plan for demolition and reconstruction. A plan was developed to re-allocate other space within the facility as a showroom while the damaged areas were repaired and the main showroom was rebuilt to the Ford Motor Company’s new standards.  The improvements included the repair and improvements to the facility offices, parts department, sales offices and customer lounge.  The new showroom was occupied in late 2019.