In 2008, architect Michael Kersting decided to begin “fulfilling a dream” as well as to start paying a mortgage instead of rent for his office space. Pat Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Wood Products, Fran Colangelo of Kingpost Design & Construction, and Bill Thibodeau of Thibodeau Woodworking joined him. After looking all over town, the availability of the former Wetsig Power Boat facility came to their attention.

The spot had one thing that an architect’s eye appreciates, Kersting said, and that is “good funk.”

Even as the four created a partnership, MW4, LLC, to purchase the land and its buildings, they were not sure how they would renovate it.

“The Switchyard,” as MW4 now refers to its 3-acre complex at 4022 Market, sits a quarter mile from Market Street. It gets its new name, Kersting said, because it is set off as “an island surrounded by railroad spur…which adds to the atmosphere.”

Because the site was a fertilizer distribution center prior to becoming a boat facility, the group considered the environmental issues. The soil concerns, Kersting said, were “stabilized and is no longer a health hazard.”

After purchasing the building in June 2008, the group tore down three buildings and kept two, including a 12,000 square foot industrial space once used for fabricating fiberglass boats. They sold some of the materials from the demolition, such as steel and scrap metal, while re-using other materials during the renovation.

MW4 launched into a year-long rehabilitation to provide office, warehouse, and shop space for the four businesses while providing a future plan to build space and recruit other businesses, which focus on customization within the construction industry.

According to a press release, the group hopes to “create a campus where artisans and designers can create and collaborate in one location.” A furniture refinisher already leases some of the available space; however, there is currently 1,600 square feet available.

The recycling and renovation of the site’s main building, its interior, and the addition of a second floor cost $800,000. Kersting incorporated other green principles, such as “the extensive use of day lighting, recycled materials, and upgraded insulation and building envelope
systems.” The site has plans for adding a rainwater harvesting system, a windmill generator, and a “solar farm.”

One challenge the partnership faced was to bring the buildings “up to modern building code standards … The building department worked with us and we were able to get through the code dilemmas. But the fire department was one of the more challenging aspects,” Kersting said. “We spent more on fire safety issues than ever expected.”

Fitzgerald Wood Products is using 8,000 square feet for its warehouse. MW4 added 5,000 square feet to the air space, building a second-floor office space.

The space is now a “cool loft type that is hard to duplicate in something brand new,” Kersting said. “It lifts the quality level of the old building and is a nice contrast between the crude industrial old and new.”

The Switchyard has also become a demonstration of the skills of each business.

Fitzgerald Wood Products could demonstrate the use of eight or nine mixed hardwoods, Thibodeau was the on-site project manager and Colangelo provided general contractor assistance, although the partnership served as its own general contractor.

“It’s a cool centralized part of Wilmington,” Kersting said of The Switchyard. “It’s not your typical industrial warehouse zone. It’s a far more creative zone.”