Converting a commercial building to living space is challenging. Projects include barns, schools, storefronts, churches, warehouses, light industrial factories - even gas stations. These structures have at least some types of doors and windows, and straight walls that meet at perpendicular angles. But silos? I liked the concept and was very curious about the execution. I probably would have gone across town to watch the process but I only had to cross the street.

I moved to 2817 Xerxes Avenue in 1977. An opening in the brush on 29^th Street led to a field with the abandoned silos that would become Calhoun Isles Condominiums. I'd go over occasionally to explore - always with a camera. Conversion started in 1981. Evenings and on weekends I'd go check the progress - always with a camera. KEEP OUT, HARDHAT AREA, and so on were easy to ignore to get an interesting shot. I was around the materials and equipment, inside and up the structures a number of times during construction. This was not a systematic documentation project. A few shots on every few rolls of film.

I didn't really think about putting these photos together until a day I was there taking pictures and ran into someone from the developer's firm. He asked about what photos I might have of the project. This resulted in putting together a tray of slides that was shown as part of a designer showcase in the penthouse in December of 1982. 

At the time I thought maybe some future residents might like prints of these photos, but I gave it up thinking they would be hard to hang on a curved wall. It was my sister, Midge Bolt, a photographer with her own digital imaging business that suggested I dig up those old slides and see if anyone would be interested twenty + years later. Seems people were. Ten photos were purchased by the Calhoun Isles Condominium Association. Four hang in each of the two lobbies and two larger prints are in the Party Room.

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