Building houses worldwide Catholic missions group and housing for priests/guests

T. H. Marsh Construction Co. in Royal Oak recently completed a two-year, $7.4M make over on the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions/PIME building located at 17330 Quincy in Detroit. Renovation of the 72,000 square foot building originally built in 1929, included completely gutting and remodeling the first floor administration area and the second and third floor living areas, completely replacing the roof, exterior brick and limestone restoration, reconstructing and restoring the original copper cross, installing new decorative fencing, and adding a new garage and parking lot.

The design and construction, which started in September 2007 and finished in June 2009, presented many challenges as some of the original architecture needed to be preserved and updated, such as wooden doors with ornate hinges. Other challenges included fixing existing drains that were clogged, restoring higher end finishes, and installing completely new plumbing, fire protection, HVAC and electric systems and to bring them up to code.

"Since the building contains both our residences and our offices, I knew this would be a complex undertaking,” says Father Ken Mazur, U.S. Regional Superior with PIME. “I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy process, but the end result made it all worthwhile. The building is phenomenal. Staying in Detroit was a priority for us. By doing so, we were able to cement our relationships - confirming who we are as missionaries.”

“It’s a grand old building with a lot of old-world charm,” says James P. Dixon, PE with TH Marsh Construction Co. “We were able to restore, preserve and modernize all at the same time. This project is a good demonstration of what can be done to many of the historical buildings in Detroit.”

PIME is a Society of Apostolic Life of priests and laymen who dedicate their lives to the mission among non-Christians on the five continents. Founded in Italy in 1850, the Institute opened its US Regional Headquarters in Detroit in 1947.

T. H. Marsh Construction Co. was founded in 1954 and is currently located at 300 Balmoral Centre, 32121 Woodward Avenue in Royal Oak, with an additional office in Wilmington, NC. The company specializes in commercial design/build, construction management and general contracting for new construction, renovations and tenant improvement work.