The 2008 flood damaged the Cedar Rapids Public Works Building severely. It was determined that the only viable option was to demolish and replace the building on the same site. The new $35M facility consolidated several departments into a single 360,000-SF facility. The project includes office space for 400 employees and a combined maintenance-storage facility for over 500 municipal service vehicles.
As encouraged by city leaders, the facility showcased innovative and energy-efficient. Stormwater management was handled through infiltration processes in bio-retention cells dispersed amongst the parking lot islands. The cells remove silt and harmful chemicals before the rainwater leaves the site by using a free-draining soil medium and native plantings.
