Project Overview
The $5.4 million renovation of the Witwer Building at 305 Second Ave. SE in downtown Cedar Rapids now provides offices and meeting spaces for many of Foundation 2’s 100 full-time and 80 part-time employees. Their new headquarters consolidates what used to be five office spaces spread out between Cedar Rapids and Hiawatha. This historic facility dates from the 1880s and has served as a courthouse and post office, a bus station, senior day center, grocery store, restaurant and more. Foundation 2 purchased it in October 2022.
The renovated building is filled with calming blue and green hues and natural light. The space is complete with natural elements like plants and comfortable seating to provide a trauma-informed environment for staff and clients. On the second floor, offices surround a gathering space and an oasis where light trickles in from the roof and exposed brick hints of the building’s history. Third-floor space provides a dedicated room for staff to decompress, more offices, a kitchen space and a media room to shoot videos and create other multimedia projects.
Photos by Mike Fager, Fisheye Photography