ITC Midwest moves into new, permanent Cedar Rapids building

Electricity transmission company ITC Midwest has relocated to southwest Cedar Rapids, resettling its headquarters into a new and permanent building for the company.

Rod Pritchard, manager of marketing and communications for ITC Midwest, said there are multiple reasons the company decided to move, but that it was important to operate from a space that the company owns, specifically within Cedar Rapids.

“It demonstrates our commitment to being here long-term and having Cedar Rapids as the home of ITC Midwest headquarters,” Pritchard said.

In the company’s initial press release, Cedar Rapids Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said ITC Midwest has played a “vital role” in powering the city’s homes for years.

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“This new headquarters facility illustrates the company’s commitment to keeping the lights on in Cedar Rapids and the greater region,” O’Donnell said. “We are pleased ITC Midwest chose to make Cedar Rapids its permanent home, adding momentum to a growing list of investments on the southwest side.”

Cedar Rapids is ITC Midwest’s largest load center, meaning the city has the highest demand for the company’s services and electricity.

Before moving into its new facility, 3165 Edgewood Parkway SW, on Nov. 12, the company had three different leases. Its most recent lease was in downtown Cedar Rapids, on 123 Fifth St. SE.

“We value the quality of life the greater Cedar Rapids area provides for our employees to live, work and raise their families,” ITC Midwest President Dusky Terry said in a news release. “We are also pleased to be actively involved with and committed to the community, and proud to be part of the area’s success.”

Pritchard said the new space — in the Westdale Mall area — also was attractive to the company because of its large parking lot, open-concept building layout and the ability for all employees to work on the same floor.

In its previous building, Pritchard said employees from different departments were spread out on three different floors.

It “was not nearly as ideal for natural collaboration as this space is,” Pritchard said. “We're seeing people all the time now that we didn't necessarily see nearly as often before, and that leads to a lot of productive conversations.”

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He also said easy access to Highway 30, Interstate 380 and The Eastern Iowa Airport, is a plus.

ITC’s move is a boost for the growing Westdale area, which has undergone significant changes as developers work to meet a $90 million makeover goal.

ITC Midwest employs 130 people across its service territory, with about 100 of them based at the Cedar Rapids headquarters. The building has the capacity for 120 employees, allowing room for future growth.

Company employees work in a hybrid model, with employees working in-house on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, with a remote work option on Mondays and Fridays.

ITC Midwest operates more than 6,600 circuit miles of transmission lines in Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

Comments: (319) 398-8370; olivia.cohen@thegazette.com