Idaho Power nearly ready to replace over 70-year-old Pocatello Operation Center

POCATELLO – The largest electricity provider in Idaho is nearly ready to move its local staff out of a seven-decade-old building.

Idaho Power expects the new building that will replace the current Pocatello Operations Center at 311 East Benton Street to reach “substantial completion” by the end of January, with employees moving into it in February. And according to the electricity provider, this new building will offer a better experience — not just for those employees, but its customers.

“It’s going to be safer, more comfortable for the customers,” said Jordyn Neerdaels, a communication specialist with Idaho Power. “It will be in alignment with our other operation centers across our service area.”

The current Pocatello Operations Center was built in 1954, and in those 71 years, it has undergone two “extensive” remodels. Despite the work put into the building, it’s still not up to Idaho Power’s standards, Neerdael said.

“There just isn’t enough space to comfortably work and accommodate all the staff there,” Neerdael said. “They also have identified some ongoing safety concerns and some accessibility issues and challenges meeting ADA standards.”

And as the state’s population has grown, so has Idaho Power’s customer base, Neerdael said. There came a point when Idaho Power had to decide whether to do another renovation or construct a building that would meet the needs of its 64 employees working in the Pocatello Operations Center.

“The most responsible solution both financially and for our customers and our employees to meet the long-term need was to construct a new building,” Neerdael said.

The new operations center has just under 20,000 feet of square footage, up from the old building’s approximate 13,000 square feet. The old building had two floors, a main floor and a basement, but the new one will have two stories above ground and a basement.

Customers will also be able to go to the building and receive assistance in a “much larger” conference space than what the old building offers.

“(Idaho Power officials) work with customers every day, and so being able to have that larger conference space where people can come in and see a presentation or meet with an adviser, that is going to be a big bonus to being able to serve our customers effectively,” Neerdael said.