A project to include the conversion of the Educational Services area to a large conference room with moveable walls has been approved by the AEA 267 board of directors. The remodeling project, which will begin late summer, will create badly needed meeting space for larger groups. Currently, the agency must rent meeting space off-site for groups over 70.
“It isn’t cost effective for us to continue to rent space outside of the agency to hold larger meetings,” said Dr. Dean Meier, chief administrator. “This improvement will enhance our professional development program and allow us to better serve our educational partners.”
In addition to the larger conference space, the plan calls for expansion of the women’s bathroom in the center of the building to accommodate the increased traffic in that area. Both the women’s and men’s bathrooms will also be upgraded.
To eliminate off-site storage space and provide shelter for delivery vans, a non-climate controlled garage will be built on the property as well. The agency has rented storage space in Mason City for several years to create needed space.
“The agency has a line item budget for facility improvements each year,” said Meier. “These needs in the Clear Lake office have been around for quite some time and we need to address them.”
A schematic of the updated floor plan is available here.