On cue

Encore runs the table for Blue Chalk Club

By Jennifer Pfaff

Constructing a pool hall wouldn't be quite so hard if it wasn't for the high-end, extremely sensitive pool tables flown in direct from the Netherlands.

But pool is all about precision, so it's fitting that the construction of The Blue Chalk Club in Middleton required a precise sequence of events and a channeled focus from all the suppliers, subcontractors and specialty professionals involved.

"The owner was on a tight time line because he had to be out of his existing building before this building was complete," said Rene Gagner, vice president of Encore Construction, the general contractor for The Blue Chalk Club. "One of the major situations was the delivery of those pool tables. The building had to be done to a certain point for these tables to be accepted, and it's quite a process to get those tables set up."

The hall includes 17 9-foot tables, eight 7-foot tables and one heated-slate billiard table. Each was made by Gabriels Billiards in the Netherlands, and the company also created the matching European-style lights that hang above the tables.

Getting the tables was one thing; assembling them in a way that guarantees the best possible play is another. That's why Encore flew in a pool table mechanic from Florida to guide set up, Gagner said.

	Project Name: The Blue Chalk Club Location: Middleton Submitting Company: Encore Construction Inc., Madison General Contractor: Encore Construction Inc. Project Leader: Rene P. Gagner, Encore's vice president Architect: GMK Architecture Inc., Madison Engineer: Structural Integrity Inc., Middleton Owner: Ron Dobosenski, McFarland Project Cost: $1.6 million Project Size: 18,000 square feet Start Date: February 2006 Completion Date: July 2006

"They were looking for a place to start working on the tables themselves, which means the flooring and electrical needed to be done beforehand," he said. "We had to have that room set up with the air conditioning and stabilized before the tables got there because of humidity and moisture issues.

"And at the end of a project, there are a lot of people working in a building like this, so there were issues with [making sure people didn't leave] doors open and that type of situation."

The pool area, which sits a few feet underground, was the first completed, so crew members had to constantly be aware of maintaining the integrity of the tables while working on other parts of the building.

In addition to the game room, the facility includes a restaurant, bar and banquet hall. Complicating the project in its final weeks, the owner decided to include a coffee bar as well.

"First and foremost, we sat down and found out exactly what he needed and the design of the gourmet coffee bar," Gagner said. "Then we went to the plumber, electrician and cabinetmaker, and they figured out how to get it done in two and a half weeks."