Unique Process to be Used to Add Second Story to Woodbury Schneiderman’s Furniture

The roof of Schneiderman’s Furniture will be cut off and jacked up as crews build a second floor at the Woodbury store this summer.

The Woodbury City Council on Wednesday approved several measures that move the project forward.

After looking at its expansion options, “the only alternative was to go up,” said Larry Schneiderman, president of Schneiderman’s Furniture.

The method that will be used to add the second story is somewhat unique to the Midwest, said Todd Erickson, project engineer, with Folz, Freeman, Erickson, Inc.

The roof of the store will be sliced off and raised using hydraulic lifts, he said. The walls will then be built in place.

It’s a process seen more often on the East and West coasts, said Roger Tomten, Archnet architect. His company did complete a similar project in South Dakota, however.

Kay Hendrikson, from the city’s Planning Commission, called the way in which the second floor would be added the most interesting part of the body’s April 15 discussion, which also touched on ponding and parking.

The exterior of the building will be “re-skinned” as part of the project, said Community Development Director Dwight Picha. Schneiderman’s Furniture was built before the city implemented its design standards, he said.

The project will essentially double the size of the 38,000-square-foot building, Picha said. Parking will be added, as well.

For his part, Schneiderman noted that city staff has been “extremely professional” and good to work with.

The expansion was somewhat prompted by the results of a remodel of the furniture retailer’s Roseville location, Schneiderman said.

Built in 1995, the Woodbury store is a bit “outdated,” he said, and doesn’t have the floor space to showcase as much furniture as the company’s other locations.

Meanwhile, he said he’s excited about the project, and hopes it provides a boost for the store along Woodbury’s Furniture Road, noting better visibility from Interstate 94 once the second story is constructed. The company has learned from its previous renovation projects, Schneiderman said, and he expects the changes at the Woodbury store to “enhance” its offerings and presence in the city.

“We want to establish ourselves as the store to go to in Woodbury,” he said.

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