TrueNorth Green?

We're all familiar with our TrueNorth blue and find it showing up in "unexpected" places such as roads, docks and trees often. But we're also taking strides at becoming more green!

TrueNorth's programming team is looking into energy efficient lighting and systems this week. We look forward to more information and keeping our TrueNorth blues, well, green!

Programming.

Programming: scheduling, setting an order and time for planned events.

Ben Droessler, Kirsten Eddins, Sue Erbes and Dru Bridges - our TrueNorth programming team - began working with Dave Sorg and Tabatha Janek from OPN this past week. A few highlights from this past week:

• In our first meeting we communicated our current staffing needs to OPN.
• We spent time with Tabatha on Friday after she had compiled all the info from the first meeting and re-confirmed our current headcount and discussed growth needs.
• We completed the initial room data sheets and diagrams and directed those to OPN for review. (Room data sheets are a document for every room or area in the building and it allows us to identify architectural features and requirements that we want to consider or review.)
• Phelans will assist with furniture and we had initial conversation regarding office furniture - new and refurbished.
• We have toured several new offices in the area, including CRBT, so we can see the various options and ideas. We have several great ideas from each visit, so they have been very helpful.
• Randy and Dru met with OPN, Point and civil engineers to discuss roads surrounding the building, parking outside or in addition to the covered parking. Entrance and exit to the covered parking areas. Our goal was to get the necessary information so the Site Diagrams could be completed. These diagrams will be submitted with a “pre application" to the city the week of 7/26.

This coming week we look forward to:

• Discussing collaboration areas, and understanding our options for non-traditional offices, vs. traditional offices
• Meeting with Phelans and OPN to discuss furniture and timelines for making the decisions.
• Working with technology to get sizes of copiers, scanners and equipment so we can appropriately designate space in the design phases.
• Finalizing the appliances needed in the break rooms.
• Discussing storage needs with OPN.
• Continuing to gather feedback from appropriate individuals.

Check back often as our building continues to be transformed. Feel free to offer comments and feedback on this blog.

A Beyond the Expected Event

At a meeting late in the afternoon on July 8, many of our colleagues in the Cedar Rapids office visited the building that the previous Cedar Rapids Library occupied. We were excited to share some of the early plans for this building and ease anxiety about our upcoming relocation.

Enjoy our "before" pictures of this "old library" and continue to check back as we transform the building into the new TrueNorth.

The Old Library No More!

Good Morning,

I am excited to finally share with you more details on our future office location. As you know, we have explored many options over the last several months. We started with a list of over 20 locations that we considered. We analyzed many factors, including location, flood risk, accessibility, cost, parking, image and brand. Our first choice was the Banjo block just East of our current location. Unfortunately, we could not come to terms with the owners of the property.

Several alternative locations were considered, including the former library site on 1st Street. Originally we were not optimistic that the former library site would provide a suitable location for the future of our company. However, after a very extensive review, including design work by OPN architects, we became more and more intrigued with the idea of resurrecting the site, and utilizing a very sound infrastructure. Thirty days ago the City requested proposals for the former library site. Several proposals were received and at last TrueNorth was chosen to exchange our property for the old library site.

We do not want to be known as the “old library” site. We want our location to make a new statement, a TrueNorth statement. We want to show the community and our clients, that once again, we can go “Beyond the Expected”. We can be a strong supporter of the community and construct a building that will provide our staff and our clients a facility that we can all be proud of. We are confident we can do that with this location. Although the below drawings are preliminary, they offer a glimpse of the transformation that we have in mind. The new facility will more than double our space, and allow some tenant occupancy to offset the remodeling cost. Plans also include an outdoor patio, and utilization of Beems Auditorium as a conference and learning center.

We will finalize the sale of our building and purchase of the library site within the next 60 days. Our goal is to complete our design and construction plans during the same time period, and start renovation this Fall. We anticipate moving to the new facility next summer.

We are looking forward to working on this project with you!

Have a great day.

Duane Smith