Category: Weigand News

Ad Firm Finds New Home at EW

Posted on January 5, 2023

A Fresh New Look

Ferguson is enjoying their second-story view from Building 20! The marketing firm moved their central operations from their old location on West Berry Street to Electric Works at the beginning of 2023. As with the rest of campus, Weigand was responsible for the renovations needed to prepare the Ferguson’s space for a new era of innovation and forward thinking. After experiencing sizeable growth, which has led to three times the staff size, and serving the team at Electric Works as a client, the leadership at Ferguson made the decision to relocate. They’re at the center of all the exciting things happening in The Fort with some extra legroom to boot!

What’s There

This 10,777 square foot restoration job features a sprawling, comfy space including:

Open Office Layout
Cubicles
Convertible Meeting Room with Garage-Style Door
Open Seating/Collaborative Spaces
Separate Rooms with Additional Offices and Meeting Areas

Warmly lit, industrial look paired with a touch of modern design.

Making a New Home

Our crews dedicated a balance of preservation and restoration with this project. Because Electric Works is on the national registry of historical places, particular elements of the structure had to stay the same as they were when the original building was put together. Some ways our team approached this were by installing the exact same windows that were used when General Electric was operating decades ago and keeping the warehouse overhead cranes. All the old materials were stripped out of the structure besides the supports, brickwork, and masonry. From here, any damaged or worn-down sections of the building were repaired, outfitted with new lighting, new access points, updated casework, and utilities. These processes created a new home for Ferguson Advertising to continue working with their clients for years to come!

Concord Unveils New Trades Building

Posted on December 14, 2022

Larger Learning Environment

Planned in lieu of the rising influx of students enrolling in trade programs, Concord Community School’s employed Weigand’s Construction Management services to build a brand-new trade school facility. This $3.9 million, 10,400 square foot education center houses more students, more resources, and more space for each trade discipline offering.

The Structure

The complex features various spaces designed to support classes such as:

Civil Engineering
Architectural Engineering
Manufacturing
Robotics
Design and Innovation
Construction Trades

These subjects are enhanced through learning areas equipped with the latest technology and training instruments so that students can get a hands-on education with real-world applications.

For the Future

“We are proud to support this investment that will have a direct impact on our students and their ability to increase their industry-ready skills while still in high school…In conversations with local industry leaders, it is clear that having this facility in place to support student learning will set them on a path to success in whatever career path they choose.” – Dan Funston, Superintendent, Concord Community Schools

With the mounting need for people well-versed in trades of all types across the nation, the Engineering and Construction Center will not only benefit the individual careers of students that pass through its halls but will also create value for all kinds of industries that require the skill and expertise of well-educated workers. This will have a lasting impact on learners’ careers, the community, and the economy as a whole.

Concord Engineering and Construction Center

CARR Workplaces Opens at Electric Works

Posted on December 13, 2022

Grow your business at your own pace with coworking spaces, executive suites, and conference spaces featuring a flexible lease concept

Just Arrived

With locations represented in major cities across the country like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, D.C., San Fransico, and more, CARR Workplaces has now touched down in Fort Wayne! They’ve brought their innovative office spaces to Electric Works, with Weigand acting as the construction manager for renovations! They provide a plethora of affordable, flexible options that meet the needs of business individuals on the go!

From Old to New

Our construction teams worked around the clock to remove old material from the structure. They installed new metal paneling, drywall, interior and exterior storefronts, polished concrete floors, and a fresh coat of overhead paint to restore the space to its former glory! This once dilapidated building is ready to host visitors and locals alike for decades to come!

The Office Perks

At Electric Works, CARR maintains 32,000 square feet, 85 offices, and 3 meeting rooms. These rooms share the main floor and basement of The Forum. You will notice them as you walk through the entrance to access the rest of the campus. It is the perfect spot for any remote worker or self-starter who is looking for a change of scenery!

Visit the campus and see for yourself!

A Year-Round Street Market Comes to Downtown Fort Wayne

Posted on December 13, 2022

Fresh Market Goods

The Union Street Market is the spot for fresh, local food and more at Electric Works! With Weigand heading up restorations in this building, there are dozens of different merchants to choose from and plenty of options to try and love. Located in Buildings 20, 20A, and 22, Union Street Market is also the new home of the Fort Wayne Farmer’s Market. You can enjoy artisan meals during the week and get fresh picks of produce on the weekends! Vendors are being added all the time, so be sure to visit and see what’s new!

Looking Back

Long before they were the site of the street market, Buildings 20, 20A, and 22 were the headquarters for maintenance, the phone department, the carpenter shop, and 10,000 IEUA transformer production. Each of these structures houses decades of history:

Building 20 was raised in 1907
Building 20A came in 1941
Building 22 first opened in 1917

This combination of shops, assembly lines, and storage space adds together a total of 44,328 square feet! That’s bigger than nine basketball courts grouped together!

How it all Came Together

Our construction teams took special care to ensure that everything was ready for opening day. Here are a few of the restorations that they made:

Installed new flights of stairs
Secured corrugated metal paneling
Built out restrooms and other amenities
Poured and polished new concrete flooring
Assembled new kitchens, storefronts, and countertops

By taking these steps, our crews completed renovation of the three buildings right on schedule! They took a section of structures over one hundred years old and turned it into a new place for the community to gather and thrive!

1 Thing to Do When You Visit EW

Posted on December 13, 2022

The Campus Hub

One of the first sights that welcomes you as you walk through the entrance of Electric Works is a vast, open space with dedicated offices, meeting rooms, a coffee shop, a taproom, and much more! Weigand Construction was responsible for revitalizing this space for future use! In short, this atrium is known as The Forum. From here, you can access all the various shops, markets, restaurants, boutiques, and other outlets that Electric Works has to offer! It’s located just north of the visitor parking lot, sitting behind the Amp Lab STEAM School and the GE Club.

Where Do I Go from Here?

If you go through the second set of doors towards the back of the Forum, you will step right onto the center of Dynamo Alley. This is, in fact, the main walkway connecting you to the rest of the campus! Perhaps you want to get some lunch at one of the many eateries. In addition, maybe you need to pick up some local produce at the farmer’s market. Which band is playing at the live music venue this week? What about going on a nice stroll through the beautiful gardens on display, afterwards?

Up to You

Whether you go left or right, you’ll have access to all kinds of goods and services, both local and national! After all, just depends on which way you turn. Come explore and discover what’s here for yourself!

A Landmark Built to Serve Generations – Electric Works Opens to the Public

Posted on December 13, 2022

An Excerpt from Our December 2022 Newsletter

As we have secured our Certificate of Occupancy permits for over 700,000 square-feet of core and shell construction and are starting to move-in tenants like Do It Best, Medical Informatics, BSW Work Ready, Parkview, Carr Co-working, and Ferguson Advertising at Electric Works, I can’t help but think about the tremendous impact that this project has already had on our company, our community, and how it will affect the region well into the future.

Through historic preservation, a mix of uses, and full-time active program management, Electric Works created an atmosphere where talent and businesses want to locate, stay, and grow. This environment, unique in the Midwest and the nation, is why EW is projecting over 1600 new and retained jobs in the first two phases.

I am proud to say that over 90% of this project was performed by specialty contractors, vendors, suppliers, architects, engineers, consultants, and of course the hardworking tradesmen and tradeswomen from our Fort Wayne and surrounding communities. This represented 3,637 jobs during construction and the payroll to go along with it. The direct and indirect financial impact was $463 Million during construction and will be $548 Million annually. It is such a win for us locally knowing all these dollars stayed in our community and will be reinvested in some way.

The campus will be a vibrant part of our downtown with innovation space, office space, retail, Union Street Market with over twenty-five food vendors, restaurants/brewery, live entertainment and much more. I am so proud that our company was an integral part of the success of this redevelopment project because it is truly a “Landmark that will impact the lives and communities we serve.”

Larry Weigand
Owner and CEO

Medical Informatics Engineering Brings State of the Art Technology to EW

Posted on December 13, 2022

Making the Move

A tenant that has a history in Fort Wayne going back to 1995, Medical Informatics Engineering (MIE) has been a resource for healthcare information technology for years. They were one of the first developers to create software that could store and deliver patient information in the cloud. With a new location on the 5^th floor of Building 19, MIE now provides state-of-the-art solutions in medical data management on the Electric Works campus! Their new section in Building 19 features office space, and a Virtual Presence Training Center. This area is dedicated to collecting data and developing software for future projects.

Room Renovation

Our teams performed several updates to the new office area:

Added Overhead Roughs
Built-in new Framing
Installed Drywall
Primed and Painted walls
Put together Ceiling Assemblies

These additions made the space feel fresh and new! It was completed just in time for MIE to set up their offices, move in furniture, and prepare their Virtual Presence Training Center for opening day. We can’t wait to see how MIE pushes more boundaries in the world of tech!

Do It Best Moves Out

Posted on December 5, 2022

Moving Day

With roots in northeast Indiana that go back more than 75 years, Do It Best continues its legacy of service, growth, and long-term improvement at its new world headquarters at the Electric Works campus in Fort Wayne, IN. Weigand served as the construction manager on this restoration project, renovating more than 200,000 square feet of the facilities to make room for Do It Best’s base of operations. The corporation is the anchor tenant of the EW campus, but it is only one of many different businesses that are transitioning offices to the Fort’s downtown district.

Amenities for Better Collaboration

Do It Best employees have access to the on-site parking garage that serves workers, residents, and campus visitors. Not only that, but they can walk right next door to the Union Street Market, filled with local vendors and restaurants, to grab meals, drinks, and more. The headquarters occupies three floors, featuring:

Large Conference Hall.
Class spaces with walls that can be converted into additional rooms.
Modern office layout.
Large windows that match the original buildout and create natural lighting.
Open-concept collaboration areas.
Flexible workspaces.

Do It Best staff are also able to go up to their own personal rooftop space, complete with gardens and a beautiful view of the Fort Wayne skyline.

Continued Growth and Development

The move was brought on by a desire to look to the future of the company and the region. By relocating their team to the heart of Fort Wayne’s innovation, the leadership sees opportunity to strengthen themselves for the years ahead.

“Being at Electric Works will help us be an employer of first choice, retaining and attracting top multi-generational talent not only from here in Fort Wayne, but also on a broader scale. It enables us to keep our roots in the community we’ve called home for 75 years, while at the same time positioning us for a bright future.” – Dan Starr, CEO, Do It Best Corp.

Ironworks Plaza Opens in Downtown Mishawaka

Posted on December 5, 2022

Something’s Stirring Downtown

Residents of downtown Mishawaka are gathering for several new attractions that have arrived with Ironworks Plaza! In this third building phase, with Weigand serving as construction manager, there are three primary new additions.

These include:

An Ice Rink,
The Ironworks Café
An Events Center

However, these are not the only new expansions that have made a home downtown. They will be joining other recent developments like The Ball Band Biergarten (a food event hub) and The Mill (an apartment complex).

More Interest in the Princess City

“This is just an opportunity for us to bring activity to our downtown all the months of the year,” says Mishawaka Mayor Dave Wood. “…Another added amenity that will help us to attract people; to fill shops, restaurants, and other things.”

Bringing the Community Together

Residents from all over Mishawaka can now enjoy all the offerings that Ironworks Plaza has! Whether that’s taking a walk through the Biergartens, ordering a warm drink at the café, watching a concert at the event center stage, or skating with friends on the ice rink, there will be plenty to see and do! We’re excited to work alongside the city in this season of growth. We look forward to seeing more municipal projects come together in the future!

New Project Announcement: Mercer Health Campus is coming to Marion!

Posted on October 12, 2022

It is truly our mission, an honor we don’t take lightly, to care for our community.”
Mindy Kremer (VP of Development, Marketing, and Communications)

The Doctors are In

This fall, we held a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off construction at a new Mercer Health Campus site! The Coldwater, Ohio based health organization is planting a new medical office building at Marion Industrial Park. It will be home to both the Mercer Health Medical Group at Maria Stein and Dr. Heather Kleinhenz when it’s completed.

More Access for Marion

With 75 locals from throughout Marion present in total, it’s clear that many in the area are looking forward to this facility and what it brings to the community. Mindy Kremer, who is the Vice President of Development, Marketing, and Communications at Mercer, said this about the plans:

“We are excited to enhance health care services in the Marion community. At Mercer Health we often talk about caring for our friends, family, and neighbors. This isn’t just something we say, it is a promise. It is truly our mission, an honor we don’t take lightly, to care for our community.”

We can’t wait to get to work on this new campus! We’re proud to stand with Mercer Health in their mission to provide the best medical care for communities all over Ohio.

Get a tour of one of our other healthcare projects here!