MOLINE - Building owner Rodney Blackwell got to show off the new KONE building to the company's board of directors Monday.
The floor plans for a glass building are complete right along the Mississippi River. Now, the new building on 17th Street and River Drive needs cubicles inside. Blackwell says there's not a lot of room to build a horizontal building along the riverfront. That's why he decided to build an eight-floor building instead.
"We still have just a piece of land on the river," Blackwell said. "You can't build it a mile long."
The new KONE building sits right next to its old one along the river.
"That space will be vacated," VP of Sourcing Steve Cox said. "The employees that are located there at One Kone Court at the operation center will locate here to the new Kone center."
Pipes, panels, and an all glass front are supposed to make the building eco-friendly.
"On this building, we will use 60 percent less energy for 20 years," Blackwell said. "Imagine if everyone did that."
Workers are still putting together the cubicles and office furniture inside. Even though the KONE headquarters left in 2008, Cox is still very excited about the new move. The 200 employees who work at the KONE factory will move to the new building on June 20th.