Building for the Future: A look inside the jobsite offices of the future KA Headquarters
By Brenden Nickels
Brenden Nickels is an office assistant at Kraus-Anderson’s Minneapolis office.
It isn’t easy building something up from scratch, especially when it’s going to be the headquarters of your whole organization. However, the crew at the KA Block jobsite office at 917 South 5th Street has handled it well.
Kraus-Anderson is teaming up with long standing partners to construct a new headquarters for KA, as well as a new apartment building and a new combined hotel and Finnegan’s brewery (brewtel), continuing an evolution of the east side of Downtown.
“There are certainly challenges in building the Brewtel and Apartments as part of the same project with the new KA headquarters, but I think the other components will add to block and neighborhood, making the whole thing better.” said Project Manager Rody Lageson. “Downtown is constantly changing, but Kraus-Anderson has been here for a long time. Whether building a new headquarters or volunteering locally, KA and its employees are committed to the community.”
KA is currently sharing space with the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District (DID) at 917 South 5th Street for its jobsite offices, with the offices on the 2nd floor and the big conference room on the 1st floor combined with the garage. After entering the building in the
back alley, climbing a flight of stairs (or taking an elevator), you’ll reach the 2nd floor offices. They are very similar to the temporary KA offices at Broadway Place East, with a meeting room in the same area and places to store hard hats and vests. The old KA logo that stood above the old KA building stands proudly in the hallway upon entering the space. Project Assistants Emily Hals Laux and Jillian Sidler have their desks in the main area, while Project Superintendent Al Zaffke and Intern Patrick McFadden have their own private office.
The bidroom contains a lunchroom space with a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee makers (in fact, it was the same refrigerator and coffee maker, as well as the cupboards, that were used in the 2nd floor lunchroom in the old building) The restrooms also have a working shower in them, which goes back to when the building was once an apartment complex. In addition, Project Managers Chris Knutson and Chris Dokken have their desks on the 1st floor on the front side of the building, leading into 5th Avenue South.
Lageson says that the 1st floor slab for the new KA office should be ready for steel at the end of August, and that they hope to top out structure around Thanksgiving, with enclosure and finishes to follow.
Lageson believes that once upon completion, this will become another community within downtown.
“I think both the KA office and the block as a whole will be communities.” Lageson said. “KA focuses on enduring relationships and strong communities, and this block is a showcase of both.
“Downtown is a busy place right now, but it’s all part of the job.”
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