See inside Hilltop Grand Village's construction

It was cold, but not as cold as standing outside. Walls and windows blocked the wind. But the chill seeped up through the concrete into our feet.

We were standing in what will be a one-bedroom apartment at Hilltop Grand Village, looking at walls, counter top placement, outlets, light fixture locations and cable drops – among other things. The owner and her team were doing a walk-through to make decisions before wiring begins. I was along to take pictures and video inside.

I try to get to Hilltop Grand Village once a week to take video, but I’m usually just getting quick shots of the building going up from the outside.

But being inside is pretty cool. It’s neat to see it become real from a picture on a page. I’ve looked at the blueprints enough I know where the “shops” will be on Broadway, and I can see them in my mind. Actually walking through makes it all more real.

It was loud as compressors and machines ran, hammers rang out and saws cut wood. The smell of fresh-cut wood hung in the air. Someone swept up, pushing sawdust, dirt and dropped nails into a pile. Someone worked in the rafters to install pipes for the sprinkler system. Workers framed interior walls, finished floors and worked a crane and forklift to set up exterior walls. From high atop the two-story peak, workers paused in putting on sheets of plywood as I took pictures below. They didn’t want to risk dropping anything on my head, even with a hard hat.

Workers atop the roof peak at Hilltop Grand Village.

The floors throughout the building’s core are still mostly covered with snow and ice, packed down by workers. When they are ready to prep for concrete, they cover the area with some sort of black material and pump heat in to thaw the area. The core is still too open for this – they need to install windows and at least temporary doors to enclose it. They are working methodically, from one end to the other, allowing many workers to spread out and get the work done.

It’s amazing how quickly the build is going. The supervisor on site is pleased with the progress in the month he’s been back on the job. He had started on this work site but was put on another job for a while before returning to Hilltop Grand Village.

He should be pleased. It’s progressing nicely. As far as I know, we are still on target for an Aug. 1 move-in for residents – or members as we will call them. In some ways, August seems a long way away – we’re not even to spring yet. But in other ways, that time will fly by. Marking the building’s progress is a sure way to speed up the calendar.