Last summer, we first told you about the Goldtex building at 12th & Wood, a vacant and blighted industrial building that was set to become 168 loft apartment units. As has been covered ad nauseum in the papers, the developers, Post Bros., had a battle from very early on with the trade unions, who were insisting on a closed shop job with one-hundred percent union labor. When the developers refused, large groups of union protestors caused slowdowns at the site for months, interfering with equipment and supply deliveries, and intimidating subs and passersby alike. Finally, a couple of months ago, Post Bros. settled with the unions, agreeing to bid out parts of the Goldtex job and aspects of their next project at the Atlantic Building to some trade union groups. Basically, they reaffirmed their stance from when the protests began, but we digress.

And so, the past couple of months have been productive indeed at the site, and we’re starting to see some definite visible signs of progress.

Eighteen months ago

Couple days ago

From the south

Eventually, this contemporary structure will feature all sorts of fancy amenities like a terrace deck on the roof which will also include a pool, a fitness center, additional outdoor lounging space, and parking spaces for about half of the building’s residents. When all is said and done, the building should look like this:

We dig it

Meanwhile, we heard rumblings about a renewed union presence at the site earlier this week, though we stopped by on two afternoons and found only workers and security. Hopefully, the job will continue on unabated and the newly renovated building will continue the momentum that this neighborhood has seen in recent years.

Which will hopefully not be rudely interrupted if the Provence happens to open up three blocks away…