Recent Press Release

Bigger and greener: Payment office returns to Alliant Tower downtown

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -December 22, 2008 - Alliant Energy's Cedar Rapids utility bill payment office, displaced by the June flood, will return to the first floor of the Alliant Tower on Monday, December 29. It's one more sign that even in the depth of winter, rebuilding continues in the downtown area. The Alliant Tower is located at 200 First Street SE.

Utility payments will no longer be accepted at the temporary payment site at Wells Fargo Bank on First Avenue after Friday, December 26. “We appreciate the help from Wells Fargo in so quickly stepping up to provide space for us after the flood,” comments Tom Aller-President-Interstate Power and Light Company, an Alliant Energy Company. “I want to thank everyone for their patience during our remodeling. We are pleased to once again open our doors to our customers. It is one more step forward as we continue the recovery and rebuild process in Cedar Rapids.”

Prior to its closure due to the flood, approximately 2,600 customers per month paid their utility bills in person at the downtown building.

Taking a page from its own book on rebuilding “green”, Alliant Energy's new payment office space meets the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 90.1 standard for energy efficiency. To qualify, a structure must meet or exceed standards governing the building envelope, electrical power systems and equipment, lighting, heating, ventilating and air conditioning, service, water heating and energy management.

The new payment office occupies twice the square footage of its former space and features an additional teller window. A seating area and play zone for children are also planned additions. Though double the size, the new office will consume half the power resources of its predecessor due to the energy-efficiency upgrades, according to Karl Schmidt, Alliant Energy Manager of Facility Services.

Energy-efficient components of the new office include:

  • Upgraded insulation levels
  • New HVAC system
  • Low-e windows
  • Eco-friendly interior finishes with no or low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
  • Energy-efficient lighting
  • Occupancy sensors

    • The entire first floor of the Alliant Tower took on more than seven feet of water during the historic June flooding, requiring complete demolition and remodeling. Demolition was green too: All metal components including ceiling grids, light fixtures and metal studs were recycled rather than taken to the landfill.

    The utility payment office is the first office space to re-open on the Alliant Tower's first floor. New tenant Palace Barbershop and Salon, formerly located at 102 First Street SE is scheduled to open in early January. ME&V Advertising and Kelly Services will reopen in February. The Alliant Energy Credit Union will return March 1, 2009. Additional retail space is available.

Media Contact: Nancy Craig (319) 786-4788