Is the Book Tower next for residential conversion?

[Gorath]

Code now requires that the two stairs be enclosed. It may be possible to grandfather in existing exterior fire escapes if they are serviceable. But I don't think you can grandfather them in with a change of use [[from office use to residential use). Anyway, code also requires in renovations of [[something like) more then 50% of the building, that you must bring the whole building up to code. And exterior fire escapes would not be allowed to be grandfathered in. Which would be the case here.

Also the existing enclosed stairs, may not be up to current code as well. Such as the stair rise and run [[how steep they are), stair width, and guard rail heights. So they may have to be rebuilt to be made larger. But the Michigan Rehabilitation code makes some allowances for existing stairs, as long as they aren't to far out of line.

Also if the elevators are small then at least one of them would have to be made larger. Code now requires that in buildings over 4 stories that at least one elevator be able to accommodate a stretcher.

In addition to all that, if the existing stair and elevator shafts do not meet the current fire ratings [[the length of time they can survive a fire) then that will also have to be addressed.