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Chilling at Miller Park
Hunzinger finds cool work during Gehl Club renovation
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Hunzinger Construction Co. project manager Shem Lemke admitted he wasn’t too upset when the Brewers’ 2006 baseball season ended before the playoffs.
The team’s early exit opened the door for Hunzinger to begin renovating the Gehl Club, formerly known as the .300 Club, inside of Miller Park.
“On the contractor side, we were hoping they didn’t make the playoffs,” Lemke said, “so we could start sooner.”
Lemke wanted to start sooner rather than later, in part, to avoid frigid winter conditions as much as possible while working on the project between September 2006 and February 2007.
The stadium’s layout prevented work crews from draping protective plastic in front of the Gehl Club, and the team shuts down heat to the stadium during the off-season. The hallways to the suites were the only heated areas, but they were only kept at 40 degrees so the cherry wood finish wouldn’t warp in the winter cold.
Also, because the stadium is built with so much concrete, it absorbs the cold.
Lemke said working conditions were up to 15 degrees cooler than temperatures in the stadium’s parking lot. The freezing temperatures were hard on workers, he said, and made it difficult to work with some materials.
“It was a challenge to keep everything warm,” Lemke said.
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Project Essentials Project
name: Gehl Club at Miller Park
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The most notable feature in the Gehl Club is the panel of glass windows that overlooks the field. The windows slide open to given an open-air feel to the club.
Unlike suites in the rest of Miller Park, where the windows only open two-thirds of the way, the Gehl Club windows slide nearly flush to the wall. When closed, the energy-efficient windows are designed to insulate the room so it can be used all year, Lemke said.
Hunzinger also installed tile floors, a marble countertop and flat screen TVs.
Brewers’ owner Mark Attanasio hosted a contractor appreciation day in the club for all of the firms that worked on Miller Park renovations during the off-season.
“It was nice to have the carpenters show up with their wives and say they put the floor down, and electricians show their kids the light fixtures they installed,” Lemke said. “It was purely a Milwaukee Brewers’ expense. (Attanasio) continues to give fans the best experience possible.”
— Dustin Block