The Zeeland Board of Public Works moved back into its expanded and remodeled offices at 350 E. Washington Ave. last Friday.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
After 10 months of working in a temporary office space in the lower level of the Howard Miller Library and Community Center, the Zeeland Board of Public Works is back in its newly-expanded and remodeled administrative offices at 350 E. Washington Ave.
The BPW office last Friday opened its doors to the public for the first time since construction began last fall on the $2.75 million project that renovated 2,300 square feet of office space and added another 2,200 square feet to it.
The utility’s board of directors held its first meeting in its brand-new conference space on July 14, three days before the public opening. It was the first time the BPW office had undergone a makeover since it opened in 1993.
“Our team is excited to be back in the office and to resume normal operations,” BPW Power Supply and Market Operations Manager Bob Mulder said.
The new-look offices include an expanded customer service lobby, updated and more secure teller locations where customers can pay their bills, and new restrooms.
“The lobby we had was very small … We think in this day and age, we also needed better protection and backup for front-of-house (employees) from a security perspective,” Mulder said.
The upgraded space will provide improved workflow, increased office and seating capacity, and a more comfortable work environment. Other features include enhanced natural light, heating and cooling improvements, and new energy-efficient lighting.
About 15 office employees and utility management will work in the new-look offices, Mulder said.
The project had initially been scheduled for completion by June 1 when it got underway, but some circumstances led to the completion date being pushed back.
“The cold weather we experienced in January had the greatest impact, delaying the pouring of the concrete slab and installation of the roofing membrane. Those delays, along with a few minor material delivery issues, pushed the construction schedule back to mid-June,” Mulder said.
“Once construction was substantially complete, we elected to delay the move until after the July billing statements had been prepared and to accommodate the Fourth of July holiday and staff vacations. This provided additional time for our team to complete several outstanding tasks and punch list items, including landscaping.”
Lakewood Construction was the general contractor for the project, while InterActive Studio did the architectural and design work.
BPW is thankful to the city and library for accommodating the utility’s office needs during construction.
“On behalf of the entire BPW team, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the city and library staff for their hospitality and for providing the space that allowed us to effectively serve our customers while our office was being renovated,” Mulder said.
BPW will host an open house for the community to check out the new office space on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. as part of its annual Public Power Week celebration.
Zeeland Record
After 10 months of working in a temporary office space in the lower level of the Howard Miller Library and Community Center, the Zeeland Board of Public Works is back in its newly-expanded and remodeled administrative offices at 350 E. Washington Ave.
The BPW office last Friday opened its doors to the public for the first time since construction began last fall on the $2.75 million project that renovated 2,300 square feet of office space and added another 2,200 square feet to it.
The utility’s board of directors held its first meeting in its brand-new conference space on July 14, three days before the public opening. It was the first time the BPW office had undergone a makeover since it opened in 1993.
“Our team is excited to be back in the office and to resume normal operations,” BPW Power Supply and Market Operations Manager Bob Mulder said.
The new-look offices include an expanded customer service lobby, updated and more secure teller locations where customers can pay their bills, and new restrooms.
“The lobby we had was very small … We think in this day and age, we also needed better protection and backup for front-of-house (employees) from a security perspective,” Mulder said.
The upgraded space will provide improved workflow, increased office and seating capacity, and a more comfortable work environment. Other features include enhanced natural light, heating and cooling improvements, and new energy-efficient lighting.
About 15 office employees and utility management will work in the new-look offices, Mulder said.
The project had initially been scheduled for completion by June 1 when it got underway, but some circumstances led to the completion date being pushed back.
“The cold weather we experienced in January had the greatest impact, delaying the pouring of the concrete slab and installation of the roofing membrane. Those delays, along with a few minor material delivery issues, pushed the construction schedule back to mid-June,” Mulder said.
“Once construction was substantially complete, we elected to delay the move until after the July billing statements had been prepared and to accommodate the Fourth of July holiday and staff vacations. This provided additional time for our team to complete several outstanding tasks and punch list items, including landscaping.”
Lakewood Construction was the general contractor for the project, while InterActive Studio did the architectural and design work.
BPW is thankful to the city and library for accommodating the utility’s office needs during construction.
“On behalf of the entire BPW team, we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the city and library staff for their hospitality and for providing the space that allowed us to effectively serve our customers while our office was being renovated,” Mulder said.
BPW will host an open house for the community to check out the new office space on Thursday, Oct. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. as part of its annual Public Power Week celebration.
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