After the Polk County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, they reviewed the newly renovated Tri-Valley Opportunity Council building. Tri-Valley moved locations in the spring of 2023.
The Tri-Valley location is now inside the Fournet building in downtown Crookston. The Fournet building was built in 1892, and the façade was placed to unite the structures before the third installment was added on the west side of the original building in the early 1910s.
“Visitors to the building, which we will be inviting soon, will notice that everything looks good in here,” said CEO of Tri-Valley Opportunity Council Jason Carlson, “It looks new because it is new; everything but the original staircase has been replaced.”
Many renovations have been made to the Fournet building that benefits the Tri-Valley employees. Carlson explained that every room in the facility has windows that bring in natural light and beautiful views of downtown Crookston. An elevator was also installed, with the Tri-Valley operations predominantly taking place on the second floor of the building.
“All of the walls were taken out down to the bricks from the exterior,” said Carlson, “All new exterior fiberglass windows were installed; we also have a perimeter wall built-in with spray foam insulation, which is very efficient and tight, and a brand new HVAC system.”
Other renovations that have been made to the building include brand-new offices, a state-of-the-art conference room, electrical installments, plumbing, and flooring.
One of the more impressive additions to the building is the installed skylight that looks above the second and third floors. Previously, there were three individual skylights to the structure that could not be salvaged. “Jeff decided to put in a new one, which required structure, which required to go from the new skylight down to the basement,” said Carlson, “This was one of the things that held up the project for a bit of time.” Carlson also mentioned that the elevator project, overall size and office spaces of the building, and sequencing affected the original project’s completion schedule.
Although the building is unfinished, Carlson stated he is pleased to have himself and his employees working in a comfortable environment. “We have everyone housed in an office with a window, so that’s a great improvement over our previous building,” said Carlson, “The insulation and walls are very appreciated by staff, the collaborative spaces are very inviting and comfortable to use, and we have a break room with natural light where across the street we had a room with a window in the basement.”
The Tri-Valley Opportunity Council will announce an open house for the public once all renovations are complete.
