A summer of "dust, dirt, hammers and banging" has paid off for the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce.
The Hespeler Road office underwent a massive interior renovation this year and the results are impressive for anyone who remembers the old space.
Chamber president Greg Durocher says it's just a matter of "dotting some Is, crossing some Ts" and putting some "bows" on the renovated space ahead of October when they expect to welcome a local financial consultant and human resources expert to offer on site services to local small and medium sized businesses who need it.
Dubbed The Link, the new business resource centre aims to serve chamber members who aren't large enough to have HR and accounting departments of their own and need a space to connect.
Durocher says the concept to offer in-house services is common in many US chambers, but rather unique for local business associations in Canada.
Planning for the $600,000 renovation began in early 2022 and contractors were hired around March of this year to begin the transformation.
Visitors to the 750 Hespeler Rd. centre will immediately notice the change from what was once a drab, dated, and underutilized open space to a bright and welcoming workspace.
"We wanted to clean it up a little bit and make it more user friendly," Durocher says while offering a quick tour.
Three conversation areas feature modern couches, chairs and coffee tables where members can relax while hosting informal meetings with clients. The main lounge area is next to floor-ceiling windows and features a television, wet bar and counter space with stools for anyone grabbing a bite to eat.
Next to it, a small meeting and presentation area will soon feature a glass partition to offer some privacy.
But the most eye-catching component of the new space is positioned in two rows down the centre of the room and flanking the inner office.
The "pods" or modular booths are essentially enclosed cubicles that provide a level of privacy not available in traditional open-concept offices.
The glassed-in, sound proof work spaces feature a desk, chair and plenty of elbow room. One larger pod can accommodate two or three for a meeting, and another pod is completely accessible with push-button door activation.
They each have motion-activated lighting, ventilation, motorized stand-up desks and various ports for connectivity. Anyone using the spaces has access to a colour printer.
The pods will be available for rent for members who don't have a physical office and need to occasionally meet with clients, but the main focus will be providing room for the in-house HR and financial services.
Durocher says he got lucky finding a supplier for the modular work pods.
Most pod offices he'd looked into were built and designed in the US or overseas, but he stumbled across a Vancouver supplier called InBox Booths at the last minute and is impressed with the final result.
An executive from Gore Mutual who was at the chamber office to check The Link out last week made a comment that they're better than the pods the insurance company bought for their office, Durocher says.
Upgrades to the rest of the chamber office include a refurbished boardroom with better digital equipment and LED lighting throughout.
The Link will be fully operational by the end of the year, Durocher says.
"We're excited about it. It's a great addition for us and our members now have a space they can go."
