Nestled in the shadow of the glittering, nearly completed Compuware headquarters tower and parking structure in downtown Detroit is a tarnished little gem called the Rose and Robert Skillman Branch Library.

Formerly the Downtown Library, the 38,000-square-foot, wedge-shaped building had seen better days, with outdated plumbing, ventilation and electrical systems and numerous cosmetic updates needed in the interior. Thanks to a generous grant from the Skillman Foundation, the library is in the midst of a two-year renovation project that will clean up the building and make it nice for its surroundings.

"We decided that we really wanted to bring that branch back up at a level that would be comparable to what was going on around it," said Maurice Wheeler, then-director of the Detroit Public Library, when plans for the renovation were announced in 2000.

The two-level building opened on Jan. 4, 1932. Typical of buildings from that era, it was built like a rock, with nice ornamental plaster, huge windows for lots of natural light, and copious use of finely crafted marble and woodwork.

Of course, it wasn't built for effortless renovation or the easy installation of modern mechanical equipment. There were numerous holes to cut in concrete floors and surprises around many corners. We found Roy Cordovado of Sheet Metal Workers Local 80 and Thermal Engineering installing a return-air shaft in a first-floor wall. "There's some extra work in these old buildings, but I love it," he said. "Craftsmen built this place in 1931 with a lot of nice details, and it just about became forgotten. Now we're going to preserve that craftsmanship, and it will be a state-of-the-art building for inner-city youth to learn."

Plans call for the renovation work to include new unobtrusive air conditioning, heating and telecommunication systems, a sprinkler system, a cyber café, a business center with faxes and computers, a children's library and new landscaping.

Christman Co. is acting as construction manager on the project, and there are 30-40 Hardhats putting their skills to work. "It's a nice old building, with a lot of nice details," said Site Manager Darrell Bond, who is working with Site Supt. Jim Briegel. "Working next to Compuware, there's a lot of issues with parking and space to work, but we're managing."

OPERATING HIS RIG behind the Skillman Branch library is Scott Redlin of Operating Engineers 324.