The building on the right

I ordered some hobby materials mid last week from a store in Toronto that was still doing online orders and was pleasantly surprised when the package arrived Monday afternoon. One of the items was the kit that is the basis of the rightmost building in the complex.

The building on the right end of the complex is traditional and makes for an interesting contrast with its more modern neighbours. I didn't want to scratchbuild this structure so I looked around for some kit that seemed to have the right characteristics. I settled on the City Classics kit, 106 East Ohio Street Building.

Over on the right is a photo of the kit's facade as it comes in the package. Although it's far from an exact match for the prototype, they have many elements in common: an arched upper window row with rectangular windows on the lower levels, brick facing, and a street level storefront of about the correct height and materials. I figured if I cut off the decorative top trim, removed one of the mid stories so that there were just two, like the prototype, and then added a more utilitarian top, I'd have a model that was at least reminiscent of the prototype without too much work. And of course it would be painted in colours close to the prototype's. 

I used a razor saw to make the three cuts: one to slice off the top, a second to separate the arched window storey, and a final one to remove the third rectangular window storey. There was then a little cleanup with sanding sticks and the Dremel drum sander.

Super glue was used to attach the parts. The overall fit isn't too bad, and at least the new facade is fairly straight.

Another plus for this kit is the manufacturer has made the leftmost decorative pillar an optional item. This allows the builder to glue several facades together to assemble a much larger structure. In my case this allows me to better mimic how the prototype connects to the complex without an additional cut. 

The next step will be to add the level above the arched window storey. Hopefully it'll just be something simple built from styrene sheet, brick sheet, and some window castings.