...and then I woke up on the new carpet!

So I did not make it over to the space today until all the workers were gone and it was starting to get dark.  I rode the elevator up to 4 to find the entry taped off so I could not even exit the elevator, BUT the flooring at the entry was half installed…so I was ecstatic!  I rode the elevator back down to the first floor, stairs back up to 4, doors locked..argh, stairs back down, freight elevator up to 4, finally…I am in!  
I was a lone photographer for about an hour, it was nice.  I walked around taking photos and just taking it all in, comparing this near finished product to the vision that has shaped it for the past few months.  I finally lay down on the carpet for a bit…I have been ill for a couple days so had wanted to do this all day.  It was nice to say the least.  Something that came to mind…throughout the project I have given many tours and walked through the space with different groups and individuals involved, each tour evoking comments and opinions on the progress and design.  One comment that I have heard consistently (and that always gives me butterflies) is that "Centro is going to feel like one company", or “Centro is growing up”, with all peeps on one floor and able to fill an office of this size, there will be a new sense of unity within the company, which I imagine will be exciting for everyone. I am sincerely honored to be part of something so amazing.

Oh....and the carpet is almost finished on the East side and the "cork" flooring has been installed in the medium conference room and is in progress at the entry.

Around the Corner in 30 Days

Okay...26 days
Last week Scott and I began planning the logistics for the actual move and have since been moving full speed ahead.  In an effort to reduce overtime and account for any issues that may (hopefully not) arise we would like to begin moving furniture (workstations) from 444 to 222 on Wednesday, March 3^rd.   A survey was sent out to department heads regarding their team’s ability to work wirelessly or remotely for a couple days.  Thanks to all who participated and completed the survey!  There are many misfit desks/tables floating around the three offices that will serve as temporary desks for teams that have agreed to let us take their workstations early.  Conference rooms will also be used these two days as temporary work areas.  Detailed move plans will be circulated as soon as they are finalized…stay tuned!

 A few goals for the move:

o   Move with minimal disruption to daily Centro activities

o   Create as little waste as possible

o   Plan for possible challenges that may arise…example - what if Ryan breaks his leg and cannot help with the move??

o   Begin packing and consolidating each area early

o   Label everything…even the labels

o   Do not disrupt the Auditors

New Photos 2.8.2010

New photos added to show the weekend happenings!  Slideshow below, link here....enjoy!

TwoTwoTwo ProProProgress (continued)

Updates for this fabulous Friday....

Paint:

The East side of the office was painted this week and the final coat will be applied Mon/Tues of next week.  This side will finish on Tuesday.  Taping and sanding on the West side will finish next week and painting will begin Thursday.  Today I changed the paint for the rear hallway, hollow metal doors, large conference room and human hydrating station.  I only have one wall in the entire space that is still under consideration and will remain unpainted until I commit to one of my many ideas. 

Flooring: 

Carpet will be installed on the East side of the office on Monday the 15^th and the installers will work their way West.  They should begin on the West side by Wednesday.  Floor will be leveled (correction: flattened?) where needed (mostly at the entry) next week to prepare for flooring installation. Cork flooring will begin on the 15^th as well and installed simultaneously with carpet.

HVAC:

All HVAC work should be complete by Friday 2/12.

Lighting:

Fixtures in the workstation areas will all be hung by Friday 2/12.  These began today on the West side and look amazing, see....

Such a sleek, simple fixture…a huge improvement from 444.  The light fixtures hung in the Café above the bar will be taken down, the black wires replaced with white, and rehung next week. 





Move:

See previous post, please volunteer, and stay tuned for updates…

I hope everyone is half as excited as I am for the new office…I do believe it will rock Centro’s world!!

TwoTwoTwo ProProProgress

The past two days at the new space has been intense, progress has surpassed even MY expectations.  I am amazed at how quickly the paint is going up and how rich the colors are turning out.  Paint reads much brighter in the photos than it actually looks in the space. 

Lighting has been installed in the Café and one of the conference rooms.  Sconce lights have also gone in along the South wall.  I am excited to see all of these illuminated, they should really accentuate the brick between the windows and the heavy timber ceiling.   

I am working on the design for the teaming/Scrum area on the East side and am tossing around a few interesting ideas regarding the materials that will be used (metal, glass, wood).  This will be finalized early next week but will be one of the last items to go up.  I am excited for this to come together!

Planning for the actual move is underway.  More details and outreach for volunteers to come….stay tuned!

What has been happening in Chicago?

Chicago Project Process (Pre-Design)

The relocation of Centro’s Chicago HQ has always been the main focus of this project with 3 out of the 4 main goals pertaining to this office.  The Chicago team had considered relocating a year prior but without the available time required to analyze and coordinate such a move the project was put on hold.  In August they had already started to revisit the option of moving and had a couple spaces in mind. 

Financial Analysis:  Before making any site visits, I sat down with Centro to define financial goals that would ultimately determine the success level of the project.  I then completed a comprehensive financial analysis of their current lease obligations in all three Chicago offices.  Using this analysis I was able to evaluate the financial benefit of a move based on a steady state projection (if current leases were renewed) and the projected rent for a new space, including relocation and buildout expenses.  I also built a financial model that was used in the lease negotiations to compare rental rate vs. concessions to ensure Centro was getting the best possible deal.

Site Selection:   Once financial goals were established, I developed criteria for Centro’s new space,  visited potential spaces and met with agents.  Centro had a couple spaces in mind and both were owned/managed by Urban Innovations, their current landlord, however, both were raw unfinished spaces and would require a complete buildout.  I met with Urban and received a proposal for each space.  I reviewed and submitted an analysis and recommendation to Centro on how to proceed.  Centro agreed with my recommendation for the 4^th floor at 222 W. Hubbard St. (right around the corner from their current location) and lease negotiations began.

Lease Negotiations:   Since Urban is Centro’s current landlord, they agreed to terminate all three of the leases upon moving into the news space.  With my involvement and a potential direct deal with Urban, Centro did not need to work with a broker.  We negotiated lease terms, went through an intense legal review and performed due diligence until an agreement was reached and a lease was executed.  All the while, I began gathering employee data and drafting a project program.

What have I done so far?

Recent Centro Relocations

"warm-up" to the main Chicago event!
 

LA:

The relocation of Centro’s Chicago headquarters has been the main focus (and certainly the most time consuming) for this project, however I have been able to complete a financial analysis, identify new space opportunities, coordinate tours, gather feedback, conduct due diligence, negotiate a new lease, plan and coordinate the office move and facilitate the a minor renovation to the new office for the LA folks.  I consider this everyone’s (Scott Golas, Centro’s IT gurus, and myself) warm-up to the big Chicago event.  All went fairly smoothly and the LA team is now enjoying their new digs!  

New York:

At project inception it was determined that the NY office was too large and a very inefficient use of space for the number of FTE’s in this area, however the lease term runs thru May 2014 – ouch. So, the initial goal was to make one bring one of two options to fruition: 1) find a company to sublease Centro’s current space and locate a new office location for Centro or 2) work with the landlord to identify an opportunity to move to a smaller space in the same building.  After many weeks and many discussions with landlord, broker and possible subtenants we had a few opportunities on the table.  However, within this time the NY office had grown and Shawn (Centro’s founder and president) decided to make this office his “home base”, the need to move was gone – so the NY office stays put.  I was able to procure and coordinate installation of new solar shades to keep the sun out of Shawn’s eyes!
Boston:

In the midst of planning the LA move and negotiating lease terms for Chicago, the folks in the Boston office had agreed to relocate to a new and more efficient space in the same building, per the Landlord’s request.   I was able to negotiate a lease that was extremely beneficial for Centro while coordinating the move into the new space.  All of this was done within two weeks.  The Boston folks are now up and running in their new office!