Key Construction has completed the build-out of 91 micro apartment units at Tower on the Maumee in downtown Toledo, Ohio, for Geyde Development. Key served as multifamily general contractor on the project, formerly known as Ferrara Flats, which ran from September 2025 to September 2026.
Tower on the Maumee is one of Toledo’s defining landmarks. The 30-story, 400-foot high-rise was built as Owens-Corning’s world headquarters and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today it’s a working mixed-use tower, with residents, offices, and ground-floor businesses operating every day.
That’s what made this job hard.
Building Inside a Building That Never Closed
Every unit was built while the tower stayed fully occupied. Residents lived above and around the work. Commercial tenants ran their businesses below it. Nobody moved out, and the building’s daily operations never stopped for construction.
As general contractor, Key managed the full build-out across seven floors, from the 5th through the 11th.
Moving a Project Up a High-Rise
The toughest part of the job was logistics. Every stud, sheet of drywall, fixture, and appliance for 91 units had to go up an occupied high-rise that residents and tenants use every day.
That meant:
- Scheduling freight elevator time with building management so residents and tenants kept their access
- Moving material during off-hours to stay out of the building’s daily traffic
- Staging material tightly so work areas stayed clean, secure, and out of tenants’ way
- Sequencing trades floor by floor so crews never sat waiting on material
On Schedule, Start to Finish
The schedule was built around a hard deadline the owner couldn’t move. Key delivered all 91 units in 12 months without shutting down the building’s operations.
“The construction was the easy part. The real job was making sure the people who live and work in that building barely noticed we were there.” – Key Construction Superintendent
What This Means for Your Building
If you own or develop an occupied property, this is the real test of a general contractor. Building on an empty site is one thing. Keeping residents comfortable, tenants open, and a schedule intact while you build around them takes planning, clear communication, and crews who respect the space they’re working in.
Key Construction works as a multifamily general contractor across Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana, alongside its work for private developers, national brands, and public owners.
