FLOORZ Defines ReUse in its Colorado Springs location.
As ReSource Member Owner, Floorz lease was coming to an end last year the company knew it was time to find a new space for the Colorado Springs location.
Jeffrey Zeikus, president of Floorz, first toured the building in January 2010. Floorz, which started 10 years ago, had been leasing space in northern Colorado Springs but the lease was to run out in the spring and Zeikus was looking at other sites. At the time, the space facing Pikes Peak Avenue along the north side of the roughly 60-year-old building looked like “a bomb shelter,” he recalled with a grin. There were only a few small windows, old wooden stairs, ancient bathrooms and utilities. Floorz had another lease possibility it could have moved into right away, but something about the old concrete structure with its 18-foot ceilings appealed to Zeikus. As part of its goal of sustainability, Floorz seeks product reuse and this was a chance to reuse a building. “I could get creative,” he said. “It was a like a blank pallet.”
Coca-Cola had bottled soft drinks in the plant for nearly 30 years until 1984. Then the business became a regional distributorship for the company. Needing a larger building for that purpose, Coke built a 63,000-square-foot warehouse on 11 acres moving its Westside operations to the location in early 2007.
Locals will notice a change in the roofline of the old building. Towers about 10 feet high have been added atop the northeast and northwest building corners. These are for design only. The idea was “to change the whole look of the building, so when people drive down I-25, instead of seeing a roof, there's some dimension,” said Kevin Murphy of Murphy Constructors.
The end result is a colorful, modern showroom and office space with a new plumbing and heating systems. The outside adorned now with several tall windows on the north wall is receiving a new coat of stucco and other design touches throughout and landscaping is about to go in. “This is just awesome,” Zeikus said. “We love being here.”
The bulk of the Floorz space is a broad warehouse behind the office area which looks much as it did in the Coca-Cola days. The old Coke racks are even still being used, Zeikus pointed out.
Coca-Cola's long-time sale manager, Jerry Mayes said, “it's nice to see the old building thrive. We're glad to see something there that will be vibrant and help the area.”
To learn more about FLOORZ, please visit www.osfloorz.com.
ReSource Members to share what’s happening with your company, please email your story to kriskeller@rcfn.com.
Photos below – click on images for larger view.
Left: The original Coca-Cola bottling facility prior to transformation
Middle: Changes to the façade of the building.
Right: FLOORZ new location after renovation.