Work—SWISS WINERY PARK/BIEDERMANN INTERNATIONAL.
IN 1985 A DEVELOPER FROM SACRAMENTO WANTED TO MASTERPLAN/CONVERT THE OLD ITALIAN SWISS COLONY WINERY SITE WITH ITS CONCRETE VATS INTO INDIVIDUAL STORES/RESTAURANTS AND CREATE AN EXTERIOR LANDSCAPED SHOPPING MALL BETWEEN THE VAT BUILDINGS. THE 4 STORY BRANDY DISTILLING TOWER WAS TO BE CONVERTED INTO AN INTERNATIONAL IMPORT/EXPORT OFFICE. MY IDEA TO RESOLVE EMERGENCY EXITING FROM THE THIRD AND FOURTH FLOORS WAS TO REMOVE THE EXISTING ROOF ABOVE THE ADJACENT CONCRETE BRANDY VATS, EXPOSING THE TOP OF THOSE VATS. TO THEN CONVERT THE AREA INTO AN INTERMEDIATE LEVEL ENTERTAINING PLAZA, LEADING TO THE EXIT STAIRS, THROUGH THE TOPS OF AS WELL AS THROUGH THE VATS TO THEN OUTSIDE.
BUILDING PERMITS WERE OBTAINED, UNFORTUNATELY THE PROJECT NEVER MATERIALIZED. AFTER 32 YEARS OF NEGLECT AND SCHEMES TO REVIVE THE PROPERTY THE REMAINING BUILDINGS WERE RECENTLY CONDEMNED, SAVE ONE, AND THEN RAISED BY THE CITY OF CLOVIS IN 2017.
