Jobs center planned at Lindale Mall

Kirkwood Community College and Iowa Workforce Development plan to consolidate their services for job seekers this summer at Lindale Mall.

Iowa Workforce Development recently selected the location for a new “one-stop” center from proposals submitted in a response to formal request, according to Kim Johnson, vice president of continuing education at Kirkwood Community College.

The center may be the largest non-retail use to date for Lindale Mall, which is owned by SDG Macerich.

Two other businesses, Cranky Hank's Pizza and Nook An' Cranny, would be located in the lower level of the mall with the job center.

Lisa Rowe, the mall's marketing manager, did not deny the report, but declined to comment, saying a lease has not been completed.

The Lindale Mall office would replace Iowa Workforce Development's longtime office at 800 Seventh St. SE. It also would house some of the services now offered at the Kirkwood Community College Resource Center at 1030 Fifth Ave. SE.

Lindale was picked because of its excellent transportation links on the metro bus system, ample parking and availability of nearby services, such as pharmacies and grocery stores, according to Johnson, co-chairwoman of a Regional Workforce Investment Board committee that recommended the site.

The mall space would have two exterior entrances near Cranky Hank's on the west end of the mall, as well as an interior entrance.

The one-stop job services center would be a new concept for the Cedar Rapids metro area. It would follow a case management model instead of the current service delivery model for job seekers, Regional Workforce Investment board members were told in September.

The three main functions of the center would be to inform job-seekers about the available services, provide career development services such as resume preparation and interviewing skills, and help with recruitment and placement.

Between 60 and 70 employees would work at the new center, Johnson said.

The size of the center would be 28,000 square feet. The old Iowa Workforce Development Center in Cedar Rapids is 15,000 square feet and the present Kirkwood Resource Center, which will remain, is about 6,000 square feet.

A late summer opening for the center is planned. Johnson said plans initially called for a July opening, but are still being finalized. Details of the Iowa Workforce Development lease for the Lindale Mall site were not immediately available.

Although the record June 2008 Cedar River flood reached the old Iowa Workforce Development Center, it caused little damage.