UCHRA Preparing To Free Up Office Space

Changes to the UCHRA’s South Jefferson Avenue location will soon be taking place.

Executive Director Mark Farley said the agency will be working to free up unneeded space.

“We’re probably going to start shifting all of the operations for the human resources agency to the upstairs and to the back portion of this building,” Farley said. “That’s going to free up that whole front section for lease opportunities. That will free up all of the glass front and give the ability to separate that off. Also, we’ve got the career center side…now that it’s vacant we’ll do the same thing there.”

Farley said earlier this year that downsizing would be appropriate because the agency has too big a footprint at the current location. In addition, the UCHRA’s workforce entity will soon be moving to the UCDD’s new headquarters off England Drive.

Farley said the agency will market the vacant space as The Biz Foundry 2.0.

“Where The Biz Foundry has that single office scenario…where they are trying to get people up and running, we will be that next step,” Farley said. “Somebody may be a home-based business, or they may be at The Biz Foundry and they need two or three office pods together and the opportunity to have a meeting space. That’s the way we’re going to market this.”

Some of the space could offer opportunities for commercial and retail operations.

Farley said the agency had hoped to sub-lease the office space to a state agency, but those plans ultimately fell through.

The agency will also look to save some money by ending its lease on the current transit hub. Farley said the hub would be moved to the western corner of the UCHRA office.

Farley discussed the future changes during the UCHRA’s Policy Council meeting on Wednesday.