The Spokane office of Seattle-based DCI Engineers Inc. plans to move in late May to the former Evergreen Parking Garage building, at 707 W. Second downtown, which is currently being renovated and repurposed, says DCI principal Craig Crowley. 

Spokane-based Vandervert Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the contractor on the nearly $2 million remodel of the two-story, 15,000-square-foot structure. Hurtado|Hissong Design Group LLC, of Spokane, designed the improvements, Crowley says. 

DCI is a structural and civil engineering firm that employs 200 people overall and about 45 in Spokane. Its recent projects include the Spokane Convention Center expansion, the Davenport Grand Hotel, the Joel E. Ferris High School renovation and expansion, and McEuen Park in downtown Coeur d’Alene.  

The renovation of the 1920s former parking structure on Second will include creating open, collaborative work spaces, Crowley says. 

“It’s a very open concept, and we want to expose as much of the original brick and timber trusses as we can,” he says. “There’s lots of light because it has windows on three sides of the space.” 

The space also has skylights that will be refurbished, and three new ones will be added, he says.

The building has about the same amount of space as DCI’s current quarters on the sixth floor of the Bank of America Financial Center, at 601 W. Riverside, but the new offices are designed more efficiently, Crowley says. Also, he says, the new location will include fewer private offices and more public spaces for clients and staff to collaborate on projects. 

The building currently has a large elevator that will be removed to make room for an expansive staircase.

“The framing is nearly complete,” Crowley says. “The roof is already on, and they’re currently doing the wiring and replacing windows.”

Upgraded technology in the building will mean a wireless office, he says. 

“They’ve already done wireless mapping of the space. We’ll be doing away with desk phones and we’ll manage all voice mail and emails from cell phones that will sync to computers,” he says.  “This means we’ll be a hands-free, wireless environment,” he adds. 

In addition to its Spokane and Seattle offices, DCI maintains three offices in California, and one each in Portland, Anchorage, and Austin, Texas. The Spokane office is the company’s second largest after Seattle, says Crowley. In an earlier story in the Journal, Mark Aden, DCI president, said the company is poised to see growth of 10 percent to 15 percent this year. Aden, who is based here, opened the Spokane office in 1998.