Iowa Workforce building to become part of Mercy

Jun 26, 2010 — The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)

Dave DeWitte

Jun. 26, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- CEDAR RAPIDS Mercy Medical Center will move much of its back-office operation into a building at 800 Seventh St. SE after it is vacated by Iowa Workforce Devel opment this year. The medical center bought the building in 2008 when the state's lease on it was set to expire. The building was needed to replace space in the Mercy Family Practice Center demolished in February 2009.

The state didn't vacate the building, however, requesting two lease extensions that end next month.

Mercy spokeswoman Karen Vander Sanden said the building will be renovated to house 55 Mercy employees in the billing, centralized scheduling and finance operations of the medical center.

Those employees are now housed in temporary modular buildings on the north side of the hospital.

The modular buildings will be removed sometime after the relocation to the former Iowa Workforce Development building, which is expected in December.

Iowa Workforce Development's new home at Lindale Mall will be called an IowaWorks Cen ter. It will be staffed not only by Iowa Workforce Development employees, but by Kirkwood Community College employees who have been providing job-search skills training and related services at the Kirkwood Resource Center.

-- Comments: (319) 398-8317; david.dewitte@gazcomm.com

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