SIOUX CITY -- The chance to rehabilitate a downtown building in an area undergoing change was too good to pass up.
Jeana Goosmann of Goosmann Law Firm said her decision to renovate and relocate her firm to the former Flood Music building at 410 Fifth St. is an exciting change, especially considering the transition that's in the works nearby.
"We're really excited to be part of everything happening on Pearl Street and Fifth Street. It's going to be a very vibrant, young-professional area. We're a relatively new law firm, and I think it's innovative for us to be there," said Goosmann, who started her firm in 2009.
The development of Pearl Street into a commercial and entertainment district is just one of the building's draws, she said. As she looked at vacant downtown buildings, Goosmann said something about the building also known as the Lerch Building just stood out.
"I really found the Lerch Building was a gem," she said.
Goosmann has had the building cleaned out and water lines and other utilities updated. Once construction plans are finalized, she hopes that renovations can begin in the late spring or early summer. She hopes to move the firm from its current location in the Pioneer Bank Building at 701 Pierce St. in October.
Though final plans aren't made, there are some certainties in how the building will look.
"We hope to maintain the original integrity and design and preserve the terra-cotta on the front," Goosmann said.
Other features will include a storefront with lots of windows. The building has the familiar "We (Love) Sioux City" logo painted on the west facade. That sign will be updated to read "We (Love) Goosmann Law Firm," Goosmann said.
There were other, more practical reasons for choosing the location, Goosmann said. It's close to the federal building, there's parking behind the building and parking garages nearby. The law firm will occupy the first floor, which will be designed with the needs of a law office in mind.
"It's very exciting to get to design a work space to fit the functionality of the law firm," Goosmann said.
Goosmann hopes to lease out the second and third floors. Each floor has 4,500 square feet of space.
Those floors leave room for expansion of the firm, which includes four attorneys and four other staff members.
"This will enable us to continue to expand and grow, which I do anticipate in the future," Goosmann said.
