Red Cross prepares for move to new building

The Red Cross anticipates moving in to a renovated 24,000-square-foot building, 1545 N. West Bypass, by Sept. 29, according to a news release from the organization.

The move has been in the works for more than a year. The total cost of the building, its property and remodeling is $2.45 million, according to Red Cross Public Information Officer Marisa DeClue. That price does not include moving expenses, signage or phone installation.

The building is more than three times the size of the chapter’s current 7,800-square-foot facility at 1835 E. Chestnut Expressway.

“We will have a better quality service to our clients, because there will be less wait time to talk to a caseworker, since there will be a designated room for this,” said Debi Meeds, executive director, in the release. “Training space is more than double, so we have areas to meet with our partner agencies, too.”

The new location will have 14 offices, two dividable training rooms, a large multipurpose/conference room, a waiting room, a reception area, a break room, a health/first aid room, a 12,000-square-foot garage for Red Cross vehicles and space for chain-link storage for each department. It also will have three additional buildings for equipment storage.

The training rooms will be equipped with projection screens. One room can be turned into a client-service center in case of a disaster with phones that can be linked to the national phone bank system.